Magical Diary: Toad Hall
by NazoFox2501
Summary: Adrian Robertson is a wildseed attending his first year at Iris Academy. Along the way, he'll learn magic, make friends, and find love. Contains romance between male characters.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hanako Games'** _ **Magical Diary**_ **.**

 **Much as I like** _ **Horse Hall**_ **, I am really looking forward to** _ **Wolf Hall**_ **(if it ever comes out). In the meantime, I decided to work on this story, which features an original character from Toad Hall. Why Toad Hall, you ask? I like writing eccentric characters.**

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Chapter 1: I'm a Wizard

-September 1st, Sunday-

( _Oh wow, this is such an experience! I can't believe it: I'm actually going to a magic school! What kind of spells will I learn? Is this going to be like "Harry Potter"? Oh gosh, oh geez, I feel like narrating my experience._ _Unless these people can read minds or there are aliens eavesdropping on my brain, then I'll be narrating to no one, but oh well, doesn't matter now, does it?_ )

My name is Adrian Robertson and I am fifteen years old. I have short, feathered black hair and blue eyes. My hobbies are playing _Magic: The Gathering_ and pen and paper role playing games. Also, I am apparently a wizard.

I discovered my magical potential three years ago, shortly after one particularly bad episode of bullying at school. One student whacked me across the head with one of my role playing books before ripping out the pages. I ran into the boys' restroom and cried in one of the stalls. I was clenching my hair in fury when it suddenly caught on fire. I screamed and, on impulse, I dunked my flaming head into the toilet bowl.

The flames were extinguished, but when I looked at the toilet seat I had gripped on, I saw that the plastic was melting beneath my fingertips. I pulled my hands away and saw that my fingertips were glowing red. I ran to the sink and ran cold water on them. Steam rose and the fire alarm went off. Teachers thought I was smoking in the bathroom, so I got in trouble. No one would believe me when I told them I set my hair on fire, though they did have to wonder about the melted spots on the toilet seat.

Shortly afterwards, for some odd reason, no one talked about what had happened in the bathroom. An old woman met with me after school and explained that I was someone with magical potential. Apparently, she was a "Seeker", someone trained to detect and find those who have just awakened to their abilities. She then gave me a choice: go to a magic school when I reach 9th grade or abandon magic and forget everything related to it.

Three years later, I am walking down a path in the woods that led to Iris Academy. My parents dropped me off, thinking I was just going to a boarding school. I am carrying only one suitcase, containing a few clothes, role playing books, cards, and personal items. When I received the letter of acceptance to the school, it came with a package containing my school outfit and the key to my hall room. Inside the package were robes with a yellow cape and a belt with an insignia of a frog, which I was wearing now. Apparently, because of my strange nature, I was assigned to be in Toad Hall.

Up ahead, I see a couple of buildings in a big clearing. I was honestly not expecting such posh looking buildings. I guess I've been reading too much _Harry Potter_. Then again, considering that electronic devices are not allowed, this place might not be too far off from being an old time setting.

( _That stinks that we can't bring any electronics. True, I have role playing books and cards, but I can't live without Internet. Or my iPod, or my video games, or my phone, or TV. How am I-?_ )

My thoughts are interrupted when I see two people in the front courtyard. One was an older man in brown robes and a gray pointed hat. The other was a girl around my age with long, purple hair. It looked like the older man, most likely a teacher, was scolding at the girl for some reason. As I got closer, I could hear what they were saying.

"-studies than you do to when you are walking, Miss Sue, or you'll find yourself expelled from this academy before the new year." The man warned in a British accent.

"Y-yes sir—I mean, yes professor." The girl turned her head away.

With a small "hmph", the professor walked away.

( _Harsh._ )

The girl turned her head to look around and noticed me. I saw that in addition to her purple hair, she also had bright green eyes and was wearing robes similar to mine, except her cape was green and her belt had the insignia of a horse. Behind her, she carried a suitcase, meaning that she was also new here. She ran up to me and asked, "Are you new here, too?"

"New as an egg." I said.

"O…kay then. I'm Mary Sue. What's your name?"

"Adrian Robertson. So, did you get in trouble or something?"

Mary frowned. "I bumped into that professor while trying to find my Hall. He even gave me demerits!"

"Sorry to hear that."

"Say, if you're new here, too, then why don't we look for our Halls together?"

"Nah, I'll be fine on my own."

I walked off and starting looking for my Hall. Turns out, finding it was easier than Mary implied it would be. It was simple: the front of the Hall had a stained glass window with a picture of a toad on it. To the left of the Hall were two more Halls with stained glass windows of a wolf and a bird of prey. On the opposite end of those Halls were three more with windows showing a horse, butterfly, and snake. I saw Mary enter the Hall with the horse window. I turned around and went inside my Hall.

The inside was pretty simple: no decorations, clean windows, and a polished wood floor. I fished out the letter from the pocket my robes to refresh my memory of where my room would be. It said I would have to share the room with two other students, and that my room number was 6. Seeing that the doors going forward were in numerical order, I had no trouble finding my room. I fished out the key that came with the letter and let myself in.

The room itself was large, but was crowded by three beds, a small bookshelf, and one big dresser. I saw that one of the beds had someone—.

( _What is that?!_ )

"Gah!" I yelped.

Sitting on one of the beds was a boy with brown skin and gray hair. What caught me off guard was that he had dog ears and a tail like an anthromorph. Startled by my own yelp, the boy also yelped and backed up against the wall.

"W-what is it?!" The boy asked.

"Y-you have ears and a tail!" I pointed at him.

"Oh, these?" The boy lightly touched one of his ears. "I'm a Wulver. Um…have you never seen one before?"

"No." I paused for a moment before saying, "Uh, sorry about that. I just wasn't expecting to see…"

"I see. You must be wildseed, then."

"Wildseed?"

"Someone who can do magic, but isn't born to magical parents."

"Oh, so like a Muggle."

"A what?"

"Nevermind. Uh, so what's your name? I'm Adrian."

"Manuel. I got here a minute ago and was about to unpack when—Aaaah!"

Manuel backed up again and pointed at me. I said, "Again, sorry about that."

"No, behind you!"

I turned around and saw—.

( _Moose!_ )

"Gaaaah!"

I backed into the room. Standing there was a human with the head of a moose. It took me a second to see that, unlike Manuel's ears and tail, the head was obviously fake. The figure just stood in place and stared. I noticed that on his chest was one of those "Hello, my name is" stickers. Written in the blank space was the word "Meese".

I was the first to speak. "Can I help you?"

"I am your roommate." The voice that answered was slightly muffled by the fake head. "Today, I am Meese."

"'Today'? What are you on every other day?"

"It depends on what I feel like being."

"Um, can I ask a question?" Manuel asked as he scooted off the bed.

"Certainly."

"Well, why are you wearing that moose head?"

"Because today, I am Meese. May I please come in?"

I moved out of the way. Meese walked into the room, dragging his suitcase behind him. He went to the bed furthest from the door and placed the suitcase on top of it. He proceeded to unpack. As much as I wanted to continue to stare at him, I went over to the last available bed and also started unpacking.

We spent the next few minutes in silence, doing nothing but unpacking and putting away things. I found that we had to share the big dresser, so we each picked a drawer for ourselves. There was room for the few clothes I packed, as well as my card collection. My role playing book collection was placed on the bottom shelf of the bookshelf. I caught glimpses of what my roommates had on them, aside from clothes. Manuel had a few books on him, adventure books by the look of them.

( _I think we're going to get along quite well._ )

Meese, on the other hand, had…quite a collection of hats on him. There was a sailor hat, an explorer's hat, a soldier's hat, a top hat, a bowler hat, a straw hat…there were just too many hats to list them all.

( _How did he fit them all into that suitcase?_ _And he hasn't even taken that moose head off._ )

"If you will pardon me for a few minutes." Meese spoke up.

He left the room. Manuel and I stared at the door, then at each other. I wanted to say something, and it looked like he did too, but we said nothing. I looked at Meese's now empty suitcase and saw that there was a travel tag on it. I walked up to it and examined it closely. I saw that he had come from Maine and that his name was not Meese, but Wally Ignatius.

"Wally Ignatius." I read aloud.

I looked at Manuel as if expecting an answer from him. Instead of saying anything, he lightly shook his head. I went back to my side of the room just as Wally returned. In an attempt to find out more about our mystery roommate, I asked, "So, are you wildseed too, Wally?"

"It's 'Meese'." Wally snarled. This caught both Manual and me off guard. As quickly as he had snapped, he resumed his nice persona. "Anyways, I am not wildseed, as both of my parents can do magic. Judging by your question, I take it you are wildseed?"

"Yeah. Everything is new to me." I tried not to glance at Manuel.

"I will be happy to answer any questions you have. Oh my, I forgot to ask for your names."

"O-oh yeah." Manuel spoke up. "I'm Manuel."

"And I'm Adrian."

"Manuel, Adrian, I hope that we can become good roommates."

( _Note to self: do not call him "Wally". At least he's polite…maybe_ too _polite._ )

"I have taken the liberty of looking around campus and I can show you around, if you like."

"That would be nice." Manuel said.

"Yeah." I nodded.

For the next hour, Wa—I mean Meese showed us around campus. In addition to the Halls, we saw the classrooms, cafeteria, and gym, which had a stage for plays and announcements. During our tour, Manuel told us that tomorrow was Freshmen Orientation, and that we would have to be at the gym in the morning. Good thing he told us; that was the one thing from the letter that had slipped my mind (yes, I had the letter on me, but still).

Today was a strange start to a new environment. Who knows what else I would learn and experience from this point on? I can certainly say that this year will be like nothing I've ever experienced before.

* * *

 **Next time, Freshman Orientation and the first day of class.**

 **Since I will be bringing a lot of attention to _Magic: The Gathering_ in later chapters, I will go ahead and say that I do not own it, either.**

 **As not much attention has been given to Manuel in the actual game, I will try to make a character out of him. Wally is also an original character of mine while Mary Sue is…Mary Sue.**

 **Also, I doubt that Manuel is a werewolf, so I decided to call him a Wulver (though the physical description is different from the real thing). Wulvers will be explained later on.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Hanako Games'** _ **Magical Diary**_ **. It would be nice to actually write for them, though.**

 **Some dialogue will be altered to answer some unexplained things.**

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Chapter 2: I Go to Orientation and My First Class

-September 2nd, Monday-

That morning, all the freshmen were gathered at the gym. Today is Freshmen Orientation, and I wondered what we were going to get out of it. I saw students from all the campus halls, and several stood out more than others. A few had wings or animal ears, some were of a pale complexion, but most had hair that was ridiculous in either color or shape. Aside from my roommates, the only other person I recognized was Mary.

Suddenly, everyone fell silent and faced forward. Standing at the podium on the stage was an older woman wearing pink clothes and gray robes. Like the professor from yesterday, she wore a gray witch's hat on top of her orange and purple hair. She beamed at everyone and said, "Hello, my little flower buds. Welcome to Iris Academy!"

One person started to clap, then the rest followed. The woman shushed us with a motion of her hand and continued, "My name is Professor Potsdam, and I will be one of your freshmen instructors for this year. In addition to your other professor, Professor Grabiner, we will teach you in the ways of magic."

( _"Grabiner"? Was he that professor from yesterday? I can already think of a few nicknames for that guy. Grabby, Grabber, Grabinator…_ )

"For some of you, this is the beginning of an adventure the likes of which you have never imagined. For others, this is the next step in a journey you have been travelling all your lives. Regardless, we at Iris Academy look upon you all as equals, fellow travelers on the paths to knowledge. Whether you come from a mighty family tree, or are a seed lost in the wild, together you are a mighty forest, vibrant and majestic!"

"Here at Iris Academy, we teach magic using the pentachromatic system. Basically, there are five colors of magic. Red is forceful, but not necessarily violent. Blue is the color of transformation and change. Green is the color of life and the natural world. White magic affects the mind and spirit, and Black Magic is contained within physical objects."

( _Hey! Just like the five colors from_ Magic: the Gathering _! Well, almost._ Gathering _'s White magic is more defensive while Black magic is more about offense and creature sabotage…_ )

"Your palette should contain at least a few dabs of every magical color, but a beautiful painting doesn't need every shade; it's style that matters. After all, you all have different strengths and talents, and here at Iris Academy, we embrace that diversity, and allow you to tailor your timetables to your needs. Choose your schedule according to your talents and desires; don't try to become a reflection of your classmates, or of some idol! Strive to be who you are and follow your own star, wherever it may lead you! That is the only way you are all alike: you each have your own future, and I know you'll make everyone here, and yourself most of all, proud."

( _Yeesh, how long is this speech?_ )

"Now, you may have noticed that you are all divided into different Halls to help you make friends with classmates who share similar interests. The adventurous boys and girls are divided into Wolf and Horse Halls, respectively."

There were sudden cheers from those groups. There was even one person who shouted, "Go Horses!" Professor Potsdam had to raise her hand to silence them.

"Girls and boys with charm and elegance are in Butterfly and Falcon Halls while girls and boys of a strange and eldritch nature are in Snake and Toad Halls—oh now, being strange isn't a bad thing, so please don't groan."

( _Eldritch? Does she expect us to grow tentacles or something?_ _That would be really weird, but kind of cool at the same time. Adrian fhtagn! Adrian fhtagn! Ia! Ia!_ )

"In any case, I hope you make many friends, not just in your own hall, but outside of them as well! As great wizards and witches come from those with a wide variety in their palette, so do great people come from those with a wide variety of friends and experiences! Also, most importantly, you should know and trust your roommates so that by the end of the year, you'll be able to work together as a team to pass your final exams! I am sure you are all looking forward to this!"

There was a collective groan, but the professor didn't say anything to that.

"Now, for testing purposes, we will regularly set up practical challenges in the school dungeons. Each task has many possible solutions, and you'll need to make creative use of your spells in order to pass! So think ahead about what might be useful and how!"

( _The school has dungeons? Exams in those would be awesome…I just hope they don't serve detention in them._ )

"So, is everybody ready for magic? Beside me is a box filled with your daily planners. Line up to get them, then set your schedules for this week. Go on, come on up!"

Everyone walked and shuffled to form a line up to the stage. Professor Potsdam handed each of us a planner as we stepped up. When I got mine, I went to one of the corners of the gym to get a better look at it.

The first page of the planner had basic instructions on how to use it. There are pictures showing the five magic classes, as well as time for gym, studying, or resting. They were gridded and lined up with the hours and days of the week. We had to do one of these things each day, which is nice. Saturdays and Sundays were free days. The last half of the planner had blank pages, which we were free to write whatever we want.

"Do ye get the planner, skipper?" A nearby voice asked.

I lifted my head to see who it was. It was a Toad student with messy light brown hair and gray eyes. For some reason, he was wearing a sailor's hat. On his chest was a "Hello, My Name is" sticker with the name "Jerry" written in the blank space.

"One activity a day with Saturdays and Sundays off." I nodded. "I get it."

"Never forget to fill er' out each week. Those planners are magical, so yer superiors will know if yer skippin' out or foolin' around."

"What's with the accent, Meese?"

"Na-ah." He pointed to his name tag. "Today, I be Jerry."

"That's going to confuse a lot of people, you know that?"

"Tis why I wear these name stickers, skipper. So, where ye be heading off today?"

"Uh…" I looked over my planner again. "I guess Red magic—ack, I don't have something to write with."

"Um, I have a pencil." A familiar, nearby voice said.

I turned my head and was surprised to see Manuel standing close to us. In his extended hand was a pencil. I gave my thanks and took it. As I filled in this week's schedule, I asked, "How long were you standing there, Manuel?"

"Just for a minute. I didn't want to interrupt you guys."

"It's alright to speak up, Manuel." I finished up by writing my name on the front cover. I handed the pencil back to Manuel and asked, "By the way, what are you taking today?"

"Green magic." Manuel answered.

"Today, I be focusing on Black magic." Mee—I mean Jerry answered.

"Right, see you two later." I started to walk out of the gym.

"Have a good day!" Manuel called after me.

"I will!"

( _Oh boy, I wonder what Red magic class will be like. Will I be shooting fireballs out of my hands? Wait, don't we need wands? Will we be given wands in class? Guess I'll find out shortly._ )

* * *

Even after yesterday's tour, it took me some time to find my classroom. When I found it, I was surprised to find only one other student sitting down. She was a dark skinned Horse with hair that might have been dark magenta.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

The girl turned around and said, "Oh! I thought I was going to be the only one here. I guess we're the only two taking Red magic class today."

"So everyone else picked different classes."

"Guess so. I'm Virginia. What's your name?"

"Adrian."

"Nice to meet you, Adrian."

"Yeah, you too."

I went in and picked a seat. In a minute, someone else entered the room. It was the professor from yesterday. Virginia lowered her head into her hands and lightly shook it. The professor stood behind the podium and looked at the two of us.

"Good morning…class." He announced. "For those who don't know me, I am Professor Grabiner." He took out a book and opened it. After a two second scan of one of the pages, he said, "Only two for today, Virginia Danson and Adrian Robertson, and you are both accounted for." He closed the book. "For this class, you will be learning the seductive art of Red magic, the evocation and control of energy."

( _"Seductive"? Did he have to use that word?_ )

"With this power, you might summon a breeze, light a fire, or call a distant object to hand. I say it's seductive not because of the power itself, but because simple minds prefer simple solutions."

I felt like he was insulting us. He suddenly slammed the book onto the podium and his voice thundered, "Blast your enemies with lightning! Tear buildings apart with earthquakes! Let the world burn!"

That made us jump in our seats. He paused before he continued in his normal voice, "Fall victim to such vulgar fantasies, and you will become the prey of those capable of creative thought. There are many approaches that direct force cannot defend against. One inattentive moment, and your final memorial will be a simple smear on the wall." He rubbed his hands together and gave a nasty smile.

( _Holy carp, this guy's scary._ )

"Now, before I pass out your books and begin today's lesson, are there any questions?"

I raised my hand.

"Yes, Mr. Robertson?"

"Do we need wands for our classes?" I asked.

Professor Grabiner sighed and answered, "Not necessarily, Mr. Robertson. The power to channel magic comes from you, not a stick you can find and polish. That doesn't stop most wizards and witches from using wands, however. Wands might help you to think you can use magic, and there are no rules against using wands, but in the end, it all depends on you. Do you understand?"

"I do, sir."

"I'll pass out your books now. You won't be learning spells right away, since they take time to understand and practice. Study inside and outside of class, but do not push yourselves to learn everything as soon as possible. It would be best if you read the introduction before moving on to the most basic of spells. Do not attempt any of the advanced spells until you have covered these basics. Improper use can lead to injuries, loss of limbs, or worse, and I'm sure you don't want your remains to be contained in a bucket…"

* * *

After class and lunch, I was tired. The first thing I did when I got back to my room was plop myself on top of my bed. I spent a few minutes resting before flipping through my Red magic book.

( _Wow, I can shoot lightning! Let's see…yeah, it's just like Grabiner said: the elements that Red magic can work with are fire, wind, ice, lightning, and force. Man, I can't wait to learn something other than Breeze._ )

Time passed before Manuel and Jerry returned. They were not as exhausted as I was, but that might because I'm wildseed and have no real experience. I took out my planner and discussed the rest of my schedule with my roommates. The only day I was going to share a class with someone would be on Friday: White magic with Manuel.

"Ye know we don' have to be on the same page all the time, right?" Jerry asked.

"I know," I said, "but I thought it would be nice to see each other in class once in a while."

"I think it be best we go our own paths. We may be deckmates, but it does not mean our interests should be exactly the same, just like the Lady Potsdam said."

"I know, Jerry, I know."

I went over the rest of the planner in my head: Green, Gym, Blue, and White. I wasn't really into sports and physical activities, but I was curious about what gym at a magic school would be like. I'll make sure to take Black magic next week. After that, I'll mainly focus on Red magic.

Unless plans change, of course.

* * *

 **Next time, class with** **Potsdam and gym.**

 **Once the first days of class are over with, the days will pass by more quickly.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Not saying it again.**

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Chapter 3: I Get a Concussion

-September 3rd, Tuesday-

There were six people present in Green magic class. Among the students I spotted Mary, who looked attentive and excited for today. The class professor, who turned out to be Professor Potsdam, entered the room.

"Hello little seedlings!" She sang cheerfully. "Please take your seats! Today, we're going to learn about Green magic, the magic of life! This is a very important skill for you to learn, especially once you reach a certain age! Your body is a garden to be tended to. With proper care, it could last you centuries!"

( _Wow._ )

"Slowly, carefully, you must encourage your subjects to grow in the direction you prefer. Be patient and the rose vines will lose their thorns and twine around you! Are there any questions before—ah, yes!"

"If it can heal, it can kill." The voice of another student spoke. "What happens if you force something to grow the wrong way quickly?"

( _What?_ )

Curious as to who would ask a morbid question, I turned my head to the direction of the voice. It was a Toad with short blond hair and a nasty look in his eyes. I caught at least one glimpse of him at Toad Hall, but I did know personally know him. I looked back to Professor Potsdam, wondering how she was going to answer.

"Oh, why would you want to do that?" She asks.

"Because you don't like the life in front of you." The freshman Toad answers with a sneer.

Unfazed by the answer, Professor Potsdam said, "Well, if that's your plan, I can look forward to working with you for a very long time. Life has its own flow. You can change it, but the harder you push, the more energy you'll need, so you better get started!"

( _Does nothing ruin this woman's cheery mood? Actually, now that I think about it, she reminds me of Grandma Audrey. Yeah, Grandma likes to garden too-._ )

"Now, who doesn't have a book for this class?"

Several hands, including mine and Mary's, were raised.

"Then I will pass them out. Those who are taking this class for the first time, please read the introduction first. Green magic can enforce or impede not only the living things around you, but yourself as well…"

* * *

-September 4th, Wednesday-

There were many students, including those of higher grades, present at the gym. Most were playing some variation of basketball with magic. Balls were tossed around by pure force and players were moving and jumping at levels no human could do. It was very hectic to watch.

Near the walls, some students were lifting a few weights or running laps around the gym. Looking around, there were no coaches or professors to supervise everyone. I guess gym period is a free for all.

( _Now, what am I going to do?_ )

If gym class from normal school has taught me anything, it was to stretch first. I found an empty corner to do stretches in. I did the same stretch routine that I had to do when I was in elementary school: stretch legs, stretch arms, do jumping jacks, and suffer through the crunches. I didn't like exercise, but thanks to it, I don't fall under the "fat geek" stereotype.

I decided that I would do laps around the gym. As I went around the perimeter, I noticed that most students were either Horses or Wolves. There were a few Butterflies and Falcons, but I was the only Toad present, and there were no Snakes to be found. Up ahead, I could see Mary standing off to the side along with—."

( _Whoa._ )

The person Mary was talking to was a Falcon, but he was certainly not human. He had pale blue skin, long shiny magenta hair, and demonic looking wings. It looked like they were having a conversation, but Mary had her head turned to the side, like she was trying to hide her face.

( _Wait a minute, is that demon Falcon_ flirting _with her?_ )

As much as I wanted to stop and listen in, I did not want to look suspicious. Instead, I continued running. As I passed by them, I caught a snippets of sentences.

"…might think you were a devil."

"Oh, I'm sure you know better than…"

By that point, I was out of hearing range. Ah well, next time I lap around, I can hear a few more—.

* * *

I wake up feeling dizzy with a killer headache torturing my brain. I'm staring directly at the light and I cover my eyes with my hand. I notice that my head is resting on something soft and lumpy.

( _It's…someone's lap?_ )

I went to sit up, only to have someone lightly grab my shoulders. I jerk away, only to lose my balance and fall face first on the floor. The person tried to help me up, but I slapped their hands away and struggled to push myself up.

"Adrian, are you alright?" A familiar voice asked.

I turned my head and saw Mary sitting nearby. I saw that we were still at the gym, only we were against the walls. I leaned against the wall and asked, "What happened?"

"A ball struck your head and knocked you unconscious." Another voice explained.

I turned around and saw the demon Falcon sitting next to me. He continued, "I did a quick Diagnosis and saw that you had suffered from a concussion. I Healed you to the best of my ability, but you may still have to see Potsdam. I apologize, my Green magic is not the best."

"A concussion? How long was I out?"

"Around three hours."

"Three hours? And you didn't take me to a nurse's office?"

"About that," Mary spoke up, "since everyone can learn the Heal spell, there's no need for a nurse's office."

"And anything really severe can be taken care of by Potsdam." The Falcon explained. "You must also be a wildseed if you didn't know that."

"'Also'?" I asked.

"I'm wildseed, too," Mary said, "so Damien had to explain it all to me while you were out."

"Damien?" I looked at the Falcon. " _That's_ your name?"

( _He looks like he could be the Antichrist…a pretty Antichrist [slap] don't think that, idiot!_ )

The Falcon chuckled, "Miss Sue thought the same thing."

I gape. "You can read my mind?!"

"No, I could tell from your voice. I will tell you the same thing I told her: you should know better than to judge others by their appearance."

"…Sorry, I can't help what I say at times."

"I don't mind. Anyways, I think you should go see Potsdam about your head. She can do a better job than me, and she might be able to get rid of that bump."

He reached out to touch my head. I backed away and said, "Don't touch me, please."

Damien paused, then withdrew his hand. I slowly got to my feet, supporting myself on the wall as I stood. The Falcon looked to Mary and said, "Mary, be a dear and go with Adrian."

"You're not coming with us?" Mary asked.

"No. I have…things I need to do. It was nice to meet you both. And Adrian?"

"Yes?"

He smiled. "Try not to get yourself hurt again."

As he walked away, I called after him, "Yeah, I'll just wear a helmet wherever I go from now on!"

A quick glance around the gym showed that there was no one else present; it was now just me and Mary.

"Let's go find Professor Potsdam, Adrian." She said.

I slowly followed her around campus. There were times I felt dizzy and had to rest for a minute before continuing on. I wondered where the professor would be at this time. Was she in the middle of teaching? Was she at lunch or her office?

We eventually found her in one of the hallways of the main building. Mary approached her and said, "Professor, Adrian suffered from a concussion. Can you take a look at him?"

"Adrian?" She asked. "Oh my. Let me have a look, dearie."

She approached me and held out two glowing green fingers. I flinch as she brushed them across my forehead, but I resisted the urge to back away. She pulled them back and said, "It is a concussion, but it looks like your head has started healing already. Do you remember what happened?"

"I was running laps in the gym, then the next thing I know, I'm on the floor with Mary and Damien by my side."

"With Mary and…Damien?"

"Some boys were playing with flying balls," Mary quickly explained, "and one of them hit Adrian. Damien was there and he did his best to heal him."

"Ah, that explains it. Well, I'm glad you came to me; there is still some damage present."

The green glow on Professor Potsdam's fingers spread over her hand and she placed it on top of my head. I felt a wave of refreshing energy overcome me. It felt so good that I couldn't help but crack a smile. When she moved her hand over the bump, I wince and the smile disappeared. She withdrew her hand, which was no longer glowing, and said, "That takes care of most of the damage. You'll just have to rest and refrain from vigorous physical activity for at least a week."

I rubbed my head and found that the bump was still there. I wince in pain again, but at least the headache is gone. I give my thanks and turn to leave. I hear footsteps behind me and I turn around to find Mary following me.

"Hey, wait up!" She called after me.

I stop and wait for her to catch up. I ask, "What is it?"

"Are you going to be fine walking back on your own?"

"I'm fine right now, thanks to Professor Potsdam."

"And Damien."

"Damien too, and you for lending your lap."

She giggled. "That wasn't me."

"Wait, so I was lying on _Damien's_ lap the whole three hours?"

"He said it was better than having your head resting on the floor."

"I…uh, I gotta go."

I bolted. Honestly, I was a little flustered and my thoughts were all over the place. To think my head was resting on the lap of some pretty boy—.

([ _slap] Don't go thinking that, Adrian! You don't want to fall head over heels over a guy, and a_ demon _at that. No, it's alright, you have no parents breathing down the back of your neck. They don't have to know what you're—no! Get it together! But I—aaaaaaaaaahhhhh!_ )

Even after I got back to my room, my mind was refusing to calm down. I didn't bother talking to Manuel or Bob (Wally wearing a construction hat) and I buried myself in my role playing books. For the rest of the day, I tried not think about what happened at the gym or my conflicted emotional state. Instead, I focused on reading about changelings, their groups and powers, and the finer details of the Dreaming.

* * *

 **Next time, finishing up the week with classes and weekend activities.**

 **Most of the role playing books I will make references to will be of the** _ **World of Darkness**_ **variety. For this chapter, the referred role playing book is** _ **Changeling: The Dreaming**_ **.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Got disclaimer?**

 **Looking over the other stories on the website, it looks like I'm the first one to have a male original character.**

 **Trivia: I drew the cover myself.**

* * *

Chapter 4: I Have Fun at the Mall

-September 5th, Thursday-

I sit in the classroom with a few other students, waiting for our professor to arrive and start Blue Magic class. My face fell when I saw that the teacher was the Grabinator. We all straightened and shushed up once he took his position behind the podium.

"It's good to see everyone behaving this early." Professor Grabiner says with a smug look on his face. "Blue is the color of change. That is, altering what is already there; not creating or destroying. Blue magic can also change the properties of a spell, create or dispel illusions, and even teleport oneself through space instantaneously. For a skilled Blue magician, reality itself is fluid, clay to be molded in the hands of the adept, yet few minds are capable of grasping Blue magic's possibilities. Before we start, are there any questions?"

I raise my hand.

"Yes, Mr. Robertson?"

"Is transformation possible?" I ask. "Say, for example, you want to turn a fish into a deer, or turn yourself into a dog?"

"Such transformations are possible, Mr. Robertson, but they are beyond the skills of a freshman. You won't be learning transformations until your junior year. If there aren't any more questions, I'll pass out your books…"

* * *

-September 6th, Friday-

For White magic class, Manuel and I sat next to each other. We made small talk before Professor Potsdam came to start class.

"Good morning starshines!" She sang. "Now that we are all here, please relax some. Keeping a calm, stable mind is important when using White magic. To some people, white is the absence of color, a blank canvas. In the non-magical world, white is a complete spectrum, all colors combined into one.

"In some ways, you could think of White magic as a combination of both concepts; it is the tool you use to reach the spiritual realm. These include ghosts, dreams, creatures from other planes, and even the thoughts of those around you. With White magic, you can communicate with things that are usually hidden"

Her face suddenly darkens and she says, "There is one thing I must warn you about: some people have tried to use White magic to _control_ mind and spirits instead of simply asking them for aid. The consequences of such have been very… _final_ , from many points of view. Are we clear?"

( _Wow, she_ can _change moods. I don't think I like that…_ )

No one said anything, but we all nodded.

"Good." Professor Potsdam returned to her cheery mood. "Please raise your hands if you don't have books. Okay, one, two…"

* * *

-September 7th, Saturday-

Manuel and Wally were already up when I woke up that morning. Manuel was standing in front of the door while Wally was picking out a hat to wear. I was about to ask Manuel what he was doing when he turned around to face us. In his hand were three envelopes with our names on them.

"Our spending allowance is here." He said.

"Spending allowance?" I asked.

"We get five dollars of spending money each Saturday."

Manuel handed the envelopes to each of us. Opening my envelope, I found that there was indeed a five dollar bill. I said, "This is nice, but what can we spend it on around here?"

"Well, this afternoon there will be shuttles to take us to the mall." Manuel explained. "You can spend money there, or save it for later."

"A mall, you say?" Wally asked. He had picked out a black hat with a red feather on it. He was also wearing another sticker with the name "Louis" on it. "I would definitely like to see what it has to offer."

"Same here." I added. A thought suddenly struck my mind. "Manuel, is it a magic mall?"

"There's one magic store," Manuel said, "but the mall itself is normal."

"But doesn't that mean that Mug—I mean normal people go there too? Wouldn't it be a problem if everyone saw your ears and tail?"

"It's okay, I have a glamour that can hide those features from non-wizards and witches."

"A glamour?"

Manuel nodded. "All magical creatures have to learn use glamours before going out in public."

"Wow. You know, this is just like _Changeling: the Dreaming_. In that book, glamour is the creative energy found in dreams and imagination, and Changelings can use it to cast cantrips. This is also used in the comic book series _Fables_ , where fairy tale creatures need glamour to maintain—."

"I've never seen you so enthusiastic before." Louis interrupted.

"I know! When it comes to the fantasy genre—oh…sorry, I tend to talk everyone's ears off when I talk about things that interest me."

"Quite alright, but try to keep it under control. I would rather not lose my ears if I can help it."

"Noted." I walked to the dresser and looked through my drawer. I muttered to myself, "What to wear, what to wear…"

"Um, we can actually wear our uniforms to the mall." Manuel spoke up.

I stopped my rummaging and looked at Manuel. "Won't people stare?"

"It will not be a problem." Louis reassured me. "Students have been doing this for so long that it is not a strange sight for normal people anymore."

"…Okay then. Want to go get breakfast?"

* * *

The mall wasn't gigantic, but it had two floors worth of stores and eateries. We quickly went our own ways. With only five dollars on me, I chose not to buy or do anything that would cost money. I was hoping to find a bookstore or a trading card store, but I saw no such place. It was a sad fact, but there are not as many book and card stores as there used to be.

However, I did find one place that lifted my spirits.

( _Arcade!_ )

I ran right in. My eyes widened at all the types of games. There were crane games, racing and shooters, classics like Pac-Man, and there was even—!

( _Pinball!_ )

I ran right for the pinball machines. I love pinball, and I had not seen a real machine in years. I was actually afraid that they had ceased to exist on the planet. I saw one Toad with a green afro playing pinball, so I took a peek at how he was doing.

His skills were incredible. He had multiple balls going and his score was in the millions. He was frowning and he had a look of intense concentration. I really wanted to compliment him, but I didn't want to distract him from what might be a record breaking game.

( _Great, now I really want to play pinball, but I told myself not to spend money. It's five dollars, only enough to buy lunch at McDonald's. I really want to—no, gotta resist. Just one game—resist! Gah! I can't take it anymore!_ )

I went to the change machine and inserted my five dollar bill. I got loads of quarters in exchange. Pocketing everything but two quarters, I ran back to the pinball machines. I inserted my fifty cents and the lights and sound effects activated. I slowly pulled back the plunger…

( _Oh boy, here we go…_ )

…and I let the ball fly into the playing field.

The lights, noises, and erratic movements of the ball filled me with nostalgia. My hands manipulated the flippers like they did years ago. Time had not diminished my movements, it seemed. Eventually, all three balls went out of commission and the game was over. My score was in the low one hundred thousands, which was normal for me. I really had to resist playing another round.

I turned my head to see how the Toad was doing, and I was surprised to see him staring at me. He blinked once and he turned his attention back to his pinball machine. He inserted fifty cents and started another game.

( _What was that about?_ )

I spent the rest of my trip looking around at the food places, but not buying anything. Stopping at a bakery, I saw Louis ogling at all the desserts. I approached him and asked, "See anything you like?"

"Do I see anything I like?" Louis asked. "I wish I could buy _everything_ in this bakery! Look look! Croissants, cake, flans, pies, cake pops—Adrian, it's cake on a _stick_! Okay, it's settled, I'm getting one of those!"

He picked up what looked like a chocolate ball on a stick. He bought it for around two dollars and he devoured it in two bites. His eyes lit up with the kind of happiness you can only find by eating a good dessert.

"Good?" I asked.

"Superb." Louis answered with a grin.

We spent the rest of the mall trip browsing everywhere but the clothes stores. No matter how much I looked, though, I could not find the magic store Manuel had mentioned earlier. Maybe I'll find it next time.

* * *

-September 8th, Sunday-

Even though Sunday was a free day, I was bored. It was too bad that the shuttle to the mall only ran on Saturdays, or I would spend time there just browsing. Wally (today named "Bartholomew" and wearing a fur cap) and Manuel were out for reasons unknown, so I was alone in the room. The only things I could do were read through my roleplaying books or look through my cards.

( _Or study…okay, why did I just think that?_ )

Maybe I should try asking Wally or Manuel if they're interested in playing one of my games. Who knows, if I get more people to join, we could form a roleplaying group. Feeling excited at the possibility, I started rereading the core roleplaying books. Though I love roleplaying games, I had only hosted two games in my life. It's just hard to find people who share the same interests I do. I might be able to pique Manuel's interest, but I wasn't so sure about Wally.

( _The very picture of a Wild Card…_ )

It took some time to refresh my memory, but I felt better having reread through everything. I got out the other books and started refreshing my memory on creatures and powers. This continued well into the night.

 **Next time, the first few days of Freshman Initiation.**

 **Reviews would be nice.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own the characters Adrian and Wally, but I do not own** _ **Magical Diary**_ **.**

* * *

Chapter 5: I Get Embarrassed

-September 9th, Monday-

That morning, we found a notice on our door saying to go to the gym at 9:00. We had no idea what to expect, but when we arrived, we found that all the other freshmen were present. Standing in a line at the back of the gym were older students. In the line, I spotted Damien and the Toad with the green afro.

Standing at the podium was a dark skinned Wolf with light lavender hair. He raised his hand and we all fell silent.

"Good morning everyone!" He said. "My name is William Danson, and I am your incoming senior class president."

( _Danson? Is he related to Virginia? I'm going to assume so._ )

"But for the next week, you will address me as Sir William. And now, I welcome you. Welcome…to Freshman Initiation!"

( _Freshman…Initiation? Oh god, is the Freshman Hunt real?!_ )

"Before we start, I'm required to give you basic safety information. First off, nothing that happens this week should cause you physical harm, so if you're ordered to do something dangerous or you know is wrong, please go to a teacher immediately! Now, all you freshmen line up. One at a time, come up on stage, announce your name and where you come from, and receive one of these Initiation Handbooks."

Everyone slowly got onto the stage, as if they were trying to delay the inevitable. As we gave our names and home states, the seniors stared intently. After getting my handbook, I went off to my usual corner to read it over. In addition to rules, there were also pictures and names of the whole senior class.

( _Memorize all the names, address seniors as Sir or Lady, cannot show backs to seniors, cannot be taller than seniors, memorize…"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves"…Hey, this is the first stanza to "Jabberwocky"! Why do we have to memorize this?_ )

"Now," William speaks up again, "as well as serving and honoring the entire senior class, each of you will become the property of one particular senior. Remember, your senior is your master, your best friend, your worst nightmare, and your only protection from the rest of us! Wait and we will choose."

I gulped.

( _Oh god, what are they going to do to us? Embarrass us? Turn us into their maids? Hunt us for our heads?!_ )

The seniors broke away from their line and approached us like velociraptors closing in for the kill. Some of us instinctively huddled together. I heard Wally mutter next to me, "Beware the Jabberwocks, my friend."

I turned my head to look at him. Today, he was wearing a bowler hat and a sticker with the name "Cartwright" written on it. His face mirrored mine: worried. He continued, "They come to feed."

"Cartwright," I hissed, "don't scare me more than I already—!"

"Quiet, FRESHMAN!"

They were on us. It was all over.

"You're taller than me, FRESHMAN! Get on the ground!"

"Don't turn away from me, FRESHMAN! I see your back!"

We all sat on our rears and pressed our backs against each other. One by one, a senior would pick a freshman and take them away to who knows where. A few seniors looked at me, but thankfully didn't pick me. I saw the Toad with the green afro lead poor Manuel, whose ears had drooped, away. It was only a matter of time before someone chose me.

"No." A raised voice spoke up.

I looked to see who had said that. Standing a few feet away from me was Mary, who was glaring at Damien at eye level. A few more heads turned to see what was going on.

"I'm not doing this." Mary said.

"But this is Freshman Initiation!" Damien raised his voice.

"The rules say we don't have to do something if we know it's wrong, and this whole thing is wrong. _I'm leaving_."

She turned on her heel and stormed out of the gym. Everyone had stopped what they were doing and started talking.

"She just left."

"How could she do that? William worked so hard on this!"

"No one's ever blown Damien off like that."

"Don't you remember when he was dating Angela? She…"

"No freshman ever walked out of initiation."

"Adrian Robertson."

I snapped to attention. Standing in front of me was Damien. He extended his hand and said, "I think you should be mine."

"E-excuse me?!" I stammered.

"I've chosen you to be my property for this week."

"I-I know that, but did you have to phrase it like that?!"

"There are some things about myself that I can't help. Now, take my hand. I'll help you up."

"…Right."

I did not want to make him angry, so I took his hand. He pulled me to my feet and said, "Good. I'll take you out of here so you can plan your week in peace."

( _Oh yeah, I have to fill out this week's schedule._ )

We left the gym together, though he did not let go of my hand. Once we were outside, he released my hand and let out an exasperated sigh. I couldn't help but ask, "What is it?"

Damien placed a hand on his forehead and sighed again. "That Mary is full of surprises. I never thought she would leave me—leave Freshman Initiation like that."

"Wait, you two were dating?"

"She caught my interest, but no, we were not dating. It looks like I have to move on to someone else."

( _Me? [slap] Don't think that, idiot! There's no way he would be interested in you._ )

I decided to change the topic before things got awkward. "So are these seniors going to boss me around for the rest of the week?"

"That's pretty much it, then on Friday everyone hugs and makes up. Ah, but don't forget that I'm _your_ senior."

"Oh…yeah. What are you going to make me do?"

"Don't look so tense, Adrian; I'm not going to harm you. As for my orders…take Blue magic class as much as you can this week after today."

I mentally let out a sigh of relief. "That's not too bad."

"Now Adrian, don't think that everything will be easy. I'll be sure to give you a more difficult order later this week."

"I get it. I have to go and fill out my schedule. I'll see you later."

I start to walk away. Behind me, I could hear Damien say, "I'll see you soon."

* * *

After what happened at the gym, I had a hard time getting myself in the mood for class. I tried to think of what Black magic class would be like. Professor Potsdam made it sound like it was enchantment magic.

The voice of the professor snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Good morning!" The cheery voice of Professor Potsdam said. "For those of you who are new to our magical traditions, I assure you that Black magic has nothing to do with death or evil. There is no such thing as evil magic, only magic. The bad and good come from how you use it."

( _That's true…_ )

"Black is the color of solidity and permanence. Enchanted items like potions and wands are created by enchanting them with spells, and making those spells permanent with Black Magic. This does mean that cursed items are made with Black Magic, which is how I suppose the rumor got started. Before we begin, are there any questions?"

( _So this is absolutely nothing like Black magic from_ Gathering _._ )

One Snake with long dark hair raised her hand.

"Yes, Raven?"

"Since you're enchanting matter," Raven said, "and bones are matter, you _could_ use Black magic to enchant a skeleton, right?"

( _Enchant a skeleton? I see a career of necromancy in her future._ )

"That's an interesting question!" Professor Potsdam smiles. "You could enchant a skeleton to hold an enchantment, or react in some way. You could, for example, have its skull chatter its jaw when someone comes along like an alarm. But to make it walk around and act on its own, you'll need to bind a spirit to it, and that requires a different kind of magic. Don't worry, we'll get to combined techniques later in the year. Just remember to study hard!

"For Black magic, the most basic thing to know is how to identify an enchantment. Oh wait, who doesn't have a book? Okay, Adrian, Raven, Wally—I'm sorry, 'Cartwright'…"

* * *

-September 10th, Tuesday-

Yesterday afternoon and this morning were like extended games of hide-and-seek. I would try my best to avoid seniors. It sometimes worked, but once someone shouted "FRESHMAN!" at me, I knew the game was up.

It was humiliating what these seniors would make me do. Fetch them food from the cafeteria, carry their books, and crawl on my hands and knees to make sure I would never be taller than them. Why did this Initiation exist in the first place?

Well, at least one good thing came out of today: I learned my first spell.

Following "Sir" Damien's orders, I scheduled Blue classes for the rest of the week. For today's class, we had to apply what we had read from the introduction. The first basic spell to learn for the class was Light, which creates a ball of light used for illumination. In addition to using our inner stores of energy ( _like mana_ ), we need a good amount of willpower to make the spell work.

( _Channel energy from within to my hand. Focus…intensify…_ )

The open palm of my hand started to glow white, but it was nowhere close to being a ball of light. I knitted my brows and focused harder.

( _Concentrate…intensify…intensify—aha!_ )

The glow started to leave my hand and form into something shapeless. The blob of light shifted until it formed into a perfect sphere. Edison may have made the lightbulb, but I made a light from pure magic. My face beamed as much as the light did.

"I did it!" I announced.

Professor Grabiner approached me and said, "Not a bad attempt, Mr. Robertson, but that amount of concentration is not needed. You don't need to self-induce a headache just for a Light spell."

My head drooped and the ball of light extinguished itself. Of course, to natural born witches and wizards, something like Light would be next to nothing for them. Maybe I'm just trying too hard to prove myself.

Oh well, at least I finally learned a spell.

* * *

 **Next time, more embarrassing moments for Adrian.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Don't own the game. Moving on.**

 **So, I realized that I got the events on the wrong days. Ah well.**

* * *

Chapter 6: I Write Bad Poetry

-September 11th, Wednesday-

It was day three of Freshman Initiation, and my game of hide-from-the-seniors continued. It got to the point where I was basically playing spy. I would lean against the walls, peek around corners, and bolt from one wall to the next. I should be alright if I make it to the classroom…

"Trying to sneak by Freshman Initiation, Adrian?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. I turned around and found "Sir" Damien smiling at me. I put a hand on my chest and said, "You scared me, Damien!"

"'Sir' Damien." He says sternly.

"Right, 'Sir' Damien. I assume you're here to give me another order."

"You are right. This time, however, I was thinking of something no one else would have to know about. Our little secret, you know?"

( _I have a bad feeling about this._ )

"I…what do you want me to do?"

Damien smiled again. "I want you to write me a love letter."

"A…what?!"

"Or a poem, whichever you prefer. Either way, it has to have your words of undying passion. It has to be sweet, romantic, and sealed with a kiss."

I was pretty sure I was blushing now. "But—but I'm a _guy_!"

"That doesn't bother me at all. Besides, doing embarrassing things is part of Freshman Initiation…and I can tell that you are _certainly_ embarrassed."

"Of course I am! You want me, a guy, to write a love letter to you, another guy! Why?"

"Because I've always wanted a love letter. You'll do it, right freshman?"

"B-but I'm bad at writing these types of things!"

"I'm sure you'll do just fine."

"No, I mean, I'm _really_ bad at writing things like letters and poems. I've made Ds and Fs in English class before coming here. I mean, really, you should have heard my poor imitation of a Shakespearean sonnet—."

"Adrian, as long as it's from the heart, I will like it."

"Alright, but I think you're going to regret this."

"I doubt that. Come to Falcon Hall before midnight and hand it to me then. Oh, and make sure it's juicy."

( _Juicy?_ )

* * *

I sat on my bed with some paper in front of me, trying to think of what to write next. It took me some time to think of lines to write. For the sake of simplicity, I decided to write a poem in free verse.

"Okay…" I tapped my pen against my chin. "'Hair smooth like…shiny as…exotic like…' Boy, this is hard."

I heard the door open and slam shut. I looked up to see Wally stomp over to his bed. He wore a straw hat and wore a sticker with "Hattingway" written on it. He jumped face first onto his bed and screamed into his pillow.

I got up and asked, "What's wrong, Hattingway?"

Hattingway lifted his head and said, "'Hattingway'…thanks for at least acknowledging who I am, Adrian."

"What happened?"

Just then, the door opened again and Manuel entered. He approached Hattingway and asked, "Are you okay, Hattingway?"

"I…" He deeply breathed in, then out. "I think I will be in a few minutes. I, I just…"

"What happened, Manuel?" I asked.

"You know Angela?" He asked back.

"No."

"Um, she's a really mean senior and she is… _was_ , Hattingway's senior. She found out about the whole name thing and she wouldn't stop calling him 'Wally'. He blew up on her and said he wasn't doing Freshman Initiation anymore."

"That horrid, bullying bitch." Hattingway snarled. "I am who I am, and today, I am Hattingway. I am many people, but I am _never_ Wally!"

"Please calm down, Hattingway."

Manuel sat next to him and continued his attempts to calm him down. Feeling that the situation was going to blow over, I went back to writing my bad poem to "Sir" Damien. Many long minutes passed, and I could only get two more lines.

( _Better than nothing._ )

"What are you writing, Adrian?" I heard Manuel ask.

"A love poem for Freshman Initiation."

"A l-love poem? A girl asked you to write one?"

"N-no, it was a…guy." I could feel the blush returning.

"Wow. Um, good luck."

"Thanks."

( _Okay, how to finish this?_ )

* * *

I felt nervous when I stepped out of Toad Hall that night. I had finished the poem, but I really don't think it would meet "Sir" Damien's expectations. Knowing that Falcon Hall was next door to Toad Hall, I did not have far to walk.

I stopped in front of the door and decided to look over my poem one more time:

 _How do you charm me?_

 _Your eyes are like polished plums,_

 _Words and voice tempting like Eve's apple,_

 _Lips luscious as a ripened pear,_

 _Skin like anemic blueberries,_

 _And hair exotic like dragon fruit._

 _Your wings look as dangerous as pineapples_

 _Your aura, mysterious as a clockwork orange drawn by Escher,_

 _Your blood, I imagine, would be like pomegranate juice_

 _And your heart, like the sweetest strawberry._

( _This is really horrid…_ )

I slowly opened the front door and stepped inside. Standing a few yards away was "Sir" Damien. When he saw me, he smiled and motioned me forward. I gulped and approached him with the poem in hand.

"I see you've written it." He said.

"Yeah." I held the poem out.

He took it and said, "I'm looking forward to reading it."

"I…wouldn't be so sure about that. I gotta go. See you later."

"See you soon."

* * *

-September 12th, Thursday-

It was day four out of five. Tomorrow Freshman Initiation will end. Wait, now that I think about it, tomorrow is Friday the 13th. I felt like a bad omen was coming. Maybe those seniors will make us do something really embarrassing, a coup de grace to this horrible Initiation.

Professor Grabiner entered the classroom. He took his usual position behind the podium, but then he held up a folded piece of paper. He opened it and started to read its contents out loud.

"'How do you charm me?'" He read. "'Your eyes are like polished plums, words and voice tempting like Eve's apple, lips luscious as a ripened pear…'"

( _OH GOD! That's my poem!_ )

Several students chuckled at the words that were being read. Thankfully, Professor Grabby didn't read the rest of it. He looked at everyone and said, "I suppose you think this is funny. Now, who's the joker that wrote this?"

( _Godgodgodgodgod how did he get that?! I gave that to…no… no he did NOT do that to me!_ )

"Mr. Robertson?"

"Aaaaaaahhh!"

I jumped out of my seat. Professor Grabiner went on, "My Trace spell has notified me that you are the writer of this…poem. Ten demerits and Saturday detention for you." He walked over to me and placed the poem on my desk. "So there will be no further distractions, I would like you to leave for today."

There were more chuckles and I was pretty sure the color had left my face. I took the poem and walked out of the classroom with my head hung low. I was upset, but I was also angry. With nothing else to do, I decided to find and confront "Sir"—no, _Damien_ , about this.

Seeing that he was basically a demon with blue skin, it was not hard to find him walking down one of the hallways. I let my emotions overtake me and I shouted, "Damien!"

He turned around and, seeing that it was me who was shouting for him, said, "Ah, there's my favorite freshman."

I stomped up to him, crumpled the poem in my hands, and threw it at him. "You sent that poem to Grabiner, you ass! You wanted to embarrass me? Well, you got it! Thanks to you, I have ten demerits and detention this Saturday!"

His eyes widen. "That's where it—look, I need you to listen to me carefully: I did not do this to you."

"I don't believe you."

"I…last night I told some of the guys about how I got a freshman to write me a love poem. They thought it was funny that a guy wrote one to someone like me. It's actually a common prank to send Professor Grabiner a love poem, but I didn't want them to send yours. This morning, I woke up to find that someone stole that poem. Adrian, I'm so sorry this happened."

"Really?"

"I'll go talk to Professor Grabiner and tell him that I made you write that. I'll make sure things are straightened out. I owe you that much, Adrian."

"I…thanks."

I felt relieved that Damien didn't actually betray my trust. I saw him pick up the poem and smooth it back out. He added, "By the way, your poem was wonderful, though when I said to write it juicy, I wasn't expecting you to write about fruit."

"Well, that was what popped into my head when you said that word."

"Oh, that's what you thought? That's cute. I'll treasure this."

I gaped. "Are you just being nice?"

"No, I really did like it, although I have to ask, what did you mean when you wrote 'your wings look as dangerous as pineapples'?"

"Yeah, about that. I was attacked by a pineapple when I was a kid."

"'Attacked' by a pineapple?"

"You know that bucket of water on top of the door trick? That happened to me, except it was a pineapple."

He chuckled, "I see."

"Yeah, yeah, it's funny when it doesn't happen to you."

"No, I wasn't laughing at you, it's just that I find you interesting."

"I…what?"

I felt like my brain just shut off.

( _Damien…finds_ me _interesting? That…that can't be. No, no, this can't be right. I…_ )

"Adrian?"

I felt a hand lightly brush my cheek. My brain went from shutting down to going into overdrive. I gasped and ran off. Damien might have been calling after me, but I wasn't really listening.

( _He touched me he touched me he touched me he touched me—!_ )

I ran all the way back to Toad Hall. I went to my room and curled up on my bed. Lost in my thoughts, I had not noticed that I was not alone.

"Adrian?"

It was Manuel's voice, and he sounded concerned.

"I-I'm fine." Although my shaky voice said otherwise.

"What happened?"

"I-I-today was just a b-bad d-day. Please, leave me b-be."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded. I wasn't crying, but I was emotionally rattled. I took deep breaths and I was able to get myself under control. I had to keep telling myself that it was just a touch, and that I was never in any danger.

As if reading my mind, Manuel reassured me, "Everything's going to be alright."

"Y-yes. I'll be alright. I'll be alright. Thanks, Manuel."

The rest of the day was uneventful. I didn't tell Manuel exactly what had made me upset, since it would have been a long story that involved personal information from my life. Nothing was said to Carlyle (Wally in a top hat) either when he returned from class.

"Good day, gentlemen?" He asked.

Manuel nodded while I just shrugged. Carlyle continued, "Well, get ready for tomorrow; it will be Friday the 13th!"

"Yeah," I said, "what do wizards do to keep out the bad luck?"

"Good Adrian, Friday the 13th is a lucky day for witches and wizards."

"Really?"

"Indeed. You should especially look forward to tomorrow, since it will be the end of that horrid Freshman Initiation."

"Thank goodness."

"I can finally stop bringing Big Steve his coffee twice a day." Manuel said with a relieved sigh.

"Well then," Carlyle announced, "I'm going to bed. The sooner I sleep, the sooner tomorrow will come. Goodnight, fellows."

He crawled into bed without removing his shoes or hat. Manuel asked, "What about dinner?"

But Carlyle was already fast asleep.

* * *

 **Next time, Friday the 13** **th** **.**

 **You might be wondering if Adrian is a self-insert character. I'll admit, he had a few of my characteristics from the start…but I might have made him a little** _ **too**_ **much like me. It really shows in that last scene with Damien.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Friday the 13**_ _ **th**_ **, I mean** _ **Magical Diary**_ **.**

 **Lucky chapter on an unlucky day.**

 **I really appreciate the reviews. I thought I was doing something wrong with this story, but these positive reviews helped motivate me to keep on writing.**

* * *

Chapter 7: I Nearly Panic

-September 13th, Friday-

I was not looking forward to having a class with Professor Grabiner after what had happened yesterday. I walked down the hallway to class when I saw him standing next to the door. When he saw me, he called me over. I could only hope that Damien had managed to explain things to him.

"Mr. Robertson," said Professor Grabiner, "I believe that I owe you something of an apology."

"Sir?" I asked.

"Mr. Ramsey explained everything to me. Most of the time, freshmen are indeed asked to write me a love letter, a prospect which fills them with horror. Sometimes the freshman in question would report such behavior to me, though less out of due diligence and dedication to school rules, as it is fearing me more than their senior, which is as affairs should be.

"Yesterday was the first incident where a student actually went through with it, or so I thought. I did not give you a chance to explain your actions because I believed that I already knew the reasons behind them. As such, I will cancel your detention and give you ten merits."

"T-thank you, sir."

Professor Grabiner jerked his head towards the door and said, "Class is about to begin, and I _will_ give demerits if you're late."

"…Yes sir."

( _At least everything is fine again._ )

* * *

According to the Initiation handbook, we were supposed to report to the gym at 3:00. When I arrived, I saw that all the other participating freshmen were sitting in the center of the room. Seniors formed a circle around them, save for William, who was standing near the entrance.

When he saw me, he said, "To the center."

I did as he said. I saw Manuel and decided to sit next to him. However, it seemed that simple sitting wasn't enough for these seniors.

"Lower on the ground, freshman!"

"Look up!"

"I can see your back, freshman!"

( _At least they're not screaming that word like last time._ )

William stepped forward and said, "Welcome, freshmen! It's time for the final phase of your initiation." He motioned to a Snake with long, dark blue hair. "Corrina will be passing out blindfolds. Please put them on."

( _Blindfolds?_ )

The Snake, Corrina, approached us with a large fistful of black pieces of cloth. She handed one to each of us. Looking it over, I found that it was indeed a blindfold. I looked at Manuel and found that he had the same look of puzzlement that I did. He lowered his head slightly and tied the blindfold around his head and over his eyes.

I looked down at my blindfold. I really, _really_ did not want to do this. Who knows what those seniors would do to us while we were deprived of our eyesight?

"Put it on, freshman!" I heard one senior shout.

I gulped and reluctantly put the blindfold on. I heard the shuffling of feet, of whispering, and the occasional giggle. The suspense was maddening. Then I felt someone place a hand on my shoulder. I yelped and pulled away.

"It's just me, Adrian." I hear Damien say into my ear.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Helping you up. Now, stand up. Carefully."

I slowly got to my feet. The next thing I knew, a different hand shoves me away. I shout in surprise and find myself caught by another pair of hands. They pushed me away and I found myself caught in another pair.

" _Round and round and round he goes,_ " I hear a female voice sing, " _where he stops, nobody knows!_ "

I was pushed and spun several times, and I absolutely hated it. Without thinking, I flailed my arms in an attempt to get them to stop. However, I was unable to hit anyone.

"Stop!" I shout.

In the middle of one push, I planted my feet on the ground, only to fall forward. Because I could not see where I was falling, I wound up falling on my face. I really had to resist the urge to rip off my blindfold and run away.

( _Don't run don't run don't run don't run—!_ )

"That's enough!" I heard Damien shout.

I felt two hands lightly grab my arms. I jerk them away. I hear Damien's voice ask, "Are you okay, Adrian?"

( _No._ )

"I…I'm alright." I lied. "I…just wasn't expecting…well..."

I don't know why, but there's something about the way Damien spoke that helped calm me down. Was it his voice? His words? Or the caring intention behind them?

( _Damien._ )

"I'll help you up."

The hands lightly grab my arms again, but I don't fight back. I was helped to my feet and I was gently led forward. Judging by the feel of the air, I was being led outside. This outdoor walk continued for a few minutes. Nearby, I could hear the sound of a vehicle engine running.

"Step up." Damien instructed me.

I lifted and moved my foot forward. I found a metal surface and stepped up. I had to do this two more times before I was guided to what felt like my left.

( _This is… a bus? Where are they taking us?_ )

I was led to a seat and was told to sit. I heard the sounds of other people getting on the bus, walking, and talking. In a few minutes, I felt the bus being to move.

"Turn your head towards me." Damien said.

I did so. I heard him say, "It doesn't look like you've broken your nose."

I turned my head back and said, "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For…acting like that."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Adrian. You were just startled, that's all."

"I'm not just apologizing for today, I'm apologizing for how I acted yesterday, too. You see, I…hate being touched. I don't know why, but I can't stand it when anyone touches me."

"Really? Not even your family?"

"Well, it's fine if I want a hug from mom or something, but I don't like it when it's unexpected."

"Hmm, I've never met someone who hates touch."

I let out a short laugh. "Yeah, and I've never met a…well, someone like you."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

I said nothing else. Minutes passed in silence, then the bus came to a stop.

"We're here." Damien said. "I'll lead you out."

I was guided out with the rest of the freshmen. Outside, I heard the crunch of fall leaves under my feet. The smell and sound of water came shortly afterwards. There was also the smell of…

( _Barbeque?_ )

"Freshman!" William's voice rang out. "Remove your blindfolds!"

( _Finally._ )

I ripped the blindfold off my face. I saw that we were in a small forest clearing with a big lake. I heard several shouts of "Surprise!" and excited chatter from the seniors and freshmen. Off to the side were large tables with soda, watermelon, punch, and different barbequed meats. Standing in front of me with a big smile on his face was Damien.

"Surprise!" He said.

"I…wha?" I was dumbfounded. "Are you kidding me?"

"Nope! Initiation is over! This is the after party!"

"Party?"

He nodded. "We have food and drinks, as well as presents from us seniors."

"You…got me a present?"

"I did, although we were supposed to _make_ them. I was never good at that type of thing, so…here."

Damien brought out something that he was hiding behind his back. It was a fruit basket. I slowly took it and looked more closely at the contents. In it were all the fruits that were mentioned in my poem.

"You even got dragon fruit." I said with amazement.

"That was a tricky fruit to find," Damien said, "but the gift wouldn't be complete without it."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. The party's just getting started, so let's go join the others."

"Alright."

The food was enjoyable and I got to hear personal stories of what the other freshmen had to do for their seniors. One student actually recited the first stanza of "Jabberwocky" in the middle of class. One freshman had to wear his senior's high heels for the duration of a day. Then of course, there was my poem to Damien.

Games included races around the lake, limbo, and a magical game of catch. The freshmen weren't able to play because they didn't know the spells required to play, but they did provide the seniors things to toss and catch. These things included balls, rocks, pinecones, and even food from the tables. Most seniors were able to magically catch these things in midair (William was especially good), but there were at least two seniors that got hit in the face with watermelon.

These events went on for hours. When it was time to go, we all got back on the bus and went back to Iris Academy. I looked at the fruit basket that Damien gave me. I would most certainly have to share this with my roommates, especially Wally, since he missed out.

When Manuel and I returned to our room, we found Meese sitting on his bed. We told him everything that had happened today and showed him our gifts. Manuel was given a drawing of himself from his senior. While it was not a museum masterpiece, Manuel still saw it as a gift from the heart.

"I didn't even know Big Steve could draw." He admitted.

"It all sounded nice," Meese admitted, "but I do not think that it is worth going through Initiation."

"You just had a bad senior." I shrugged.

"Correction: I had a _horrible_ senior, and I hope I never have to deal with her again."

* * *

-September 15th, Sunday-

I was sitting on my bed, groaning in self-loathing. With all of the excitement of last week, I had forgotten to ask Manuel about the location of the magic shop at the mall. Yes, I went to the mall yesterday and enjoyed another round of pinball, but the question of the magic shop's location had slipped my mind.

( _Get over it, Adrian, it's not the end of the world. The shop's not going to go anywhere. Just ask Manuel next time you go to the mall._ )

Self-loathing turned to boredom, I decided to look over my planner when I saw that there was something written on Wednesday's box. In tiny writing were the words: "Club Signup 2:00 at Gym". I looked at Norton (Wally in a detective's cap) and asked, "Do you know anything about club signups?"

"Are you looking to start a club?" Norton asked.

"Possibly. This might be my chance to get a group together for _Magic: The Gathering_ and role playing games."

"One would need to ask a professor for a signup sheet. I suggest asking Professor Potsdam, since she is the better of our two instructors, as well as the Headmistress."

"Wait, Potsdam's the Headmistress? How come I haven't heard of this?"

"Eyes and ears to the world, Adrian, eyes and ears. Also, I suggest looking one week ahead of your schedule."

I flipped a page in my planner. I looked over the days and I felt my gut drop. There was going to be an exam on Friday. I reported this to Norton.

"Better to know about it now than later." Norton said. "Look ahead of your planner and you will not be caught off guard."

"Wait, what's going to be on the exam? Are we supposed to practice magic, or are we going to be quizzed?"

"I do not know. Again, it would be best to ask Professor Potsdam. Either way, I recommend you go over everything you have learned so far."

"On it!"

I took out all of my books and placed them in a half circle around me. The only spells I knew were from Blue magic class. In addition to Light, I had also learned Farsight, which allowed me to view a nearby location. I chuckled at the memory of the day that I had learned the spell.

( _At least I wasn't the guy who used Farsight and accidentally peeked in the girl's bathroom…_ )

* * *

 **Next time, clubs and hurt feelings.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: On coffee break.**

* * *

Chapter 8: I Attempt to Start a Club

-September 16th, Monday-

After taking Black magic class that day, I went to Professor Potsdam to inquire about the clubs and next week's exam. She wouldn't give me any details about the exam, much to my frustration, but she did give me a club signup sheet. She explained the two basic rules to clubs: at least five people need to sign up to make the club official and club days are always on Sundays. She then brought me to a room which she called the "study room". In it, there were students making signs at a big table.

"You can use the materials in this room to make your sign to promote your club." Professor Potsdam explained. "Poster boards are in that corner and drawing tools can be found in that cabinet. Do your best, Adrian."

She then left the room. I got a poster board, but because all the seats around the table were taken, I had to work on the floor. I decided to model the whole board like the back of a _Magic: The Gathering_ card. I then wrote down the club's promotional words in big letters:

Magic: The Gathering and Role Playing Club

Play Magic: The Gathering card game!

Play pen and paper fantasy role playing games!

Sign up and join in on the fun!

After a lot of coloring in, I looked over the finished product. It wasn't perfect, but I was quite proud of my work. Excited for Wednesday to come, I picked up the poster and started to head back to my room.

I didn't walk very far when I saw Damien. Wanting to share my excitement, I ran up to him.

"Damien!" I called out.

He turned around and, for some reason, his face fell. He asked in an uninterested voice, "What?"

"I'm starting a club on Wednesday, and I was wondering if you wanted to join."

"Not interested."

"But I didn't even tell you what kind of club it is."

"I'm not interested in clubs, period. Now would you please stop bothering me?"

My excitement and happiness vanished upon hearing that sentence. I opened my mouth to say something when Damien turned back around and briskly walked away. I stayed rooted in place with my mouth hung open in disbelief. This was not the Damien that I have come to know last week.

"Adrian?" A familiar voice asked.

I turned around and saw William standing a few feet away. He approached me and said, "I saw what happened."

"I just don't get it." I admitted. "Why was Damien acting like that?"

"That's how he always is: he makes you interested in him, then he breaks your heart. Last year, he broke the hearts of all the girls in Butterfly Hall. It would be best if you forget about him."

"So last week, he was just playing with my emotions?"

William said nothing. I lowered my head and squeezed my eyes shut, trying my best not to let any tears come out. I just couldn't believe it. Damien was toying with me? He just said he had found me interesting!

( _I thought he actually cared about me. This…is actually worse than bullying._ )

"You need to move on." William said. "You need to focus on the future, not the past. You plan on running a club, right?"

"I…" I sniffed. "Yeah."

"Focus on that, then. Start your club and make new friends."

"…Okay." I opened my eyes and lifted my head back up. "You know, with the way you were talking, you made it sound like I was actually dating him."

"Yeah, it did kind of come out that way." William gave an embarrassed smile. "Whatever happened was all part of Freshman Initiation anyways."

I nodded. "I gotta go show my poster to my roommates."

"And I need to get to class. I will see you around."

"Yeah, you too."

* * *

"So," I asked, "what do you think?"

We were back in the room, and I had explained to my roommates what my club was going to be about.

"It looks interesting." Manuel said.

"I'm sorry," Hattingway said, "but I do not see the point of your club."

"It's a club where you play games, how is there a point?"

"From what you've explained to me and Manuel, this card game has you pretending to be wizards—."

"Planeswalkers."

"Well, they're like wizards to me. Anyways, I don't see why you pretend to be a wizard when you're already one."

"The game is not about being a wizard, it's about having good cards and a good strategy."

"Well, okay, but you have no defense for your role playing games. You even have a role playing book for wizards."

"Mages are not the same as wizards! For one, magic comes from the Supernal Realms and is divided into ten Arcana instead of five colors. Second, the Realms are entirely separate, leaving open discussions like philosophy and paradoxes in our illusory world—."

"Adrian, you're doing it again, and that sounds _way_ too complicated to play."

"Okay, I admit, _Mage_ was always a hard series to understand, but it's easy enough to grasp _Vampire_ , _Werewolf_ , and _Changeling_."

"Well I wish you luck in finding anyone who's interested in the same things you are."

With that said, Hattingway let his head drop on his pillow and sighed. He took out one of his school books and started reading. Manuel said to me, "I'm interested in playing."

"Then feel free to sign up on Wednesday!" I grinned.

Now I was really looking forward to Wednesday.

* * *

-September 18th, Wednesday-

The gym was crowded with students and tables. Many people were advertising a myriad of clubs. There was a drama club, a sports club, and even a "Save the Dragons" club. I stayed at my usual spot and held out my poster for others to see. Taped near the bottom was the signup sheet.

So far, the only person to write his name was Manuel. I caught a few passing glances, but no one stopped or talked to me. I frowned. At this rate, my club will never be official.

" _Brooms for old shoes, pouch rings,_

 _boots and buskins,_

 _will ye buy any new broom?"_

Everyone lifted their heads when they heard the singing voice. Standing on stage was a dark skinned Wolf with black hair. Standing next to him was a Falcon wearing glasses.

( _Wait a minute, wasn't that the Wolf who got in trouble for using Farsight to peek in the girls' bathroom? Yeah, it_ is _him._ )

Both boys then sang together:

" _New oysters, new cockles, fresh herrings._

 _Will ye buy any straw?_

 _Have ye any kitchen stuff maids?_

 _Pippins fine, cherry ripe._

 _Have ye any wood to cleave?_

 _Give ear to the clock,_

 _beware your lock,_

 _and your fine and your light,_

 _and God give you goodnight._

 _One o'clock."_

When they were done, many people gave their applause, including me. Both singers grinned and gave humble bows to their audience. The Wolf announced, "We are accepting members for chorale! Stop on by and sign up!"

I had to admit, those two know how to get attention. Sure enough, several people followed them back to their table. Meanwhile, there was still no one visiting my corner.

"Adrian?" A familiar voice asked. "Is that you?"

Mary approached me. I said, "Hello, Mary. Are you here to join my club?"

She looked over my sign and said, "Sorry, but that doesn't sound like my thing. I just came to see how you were doing."

"Not good; I only have one person interested in joining my club."

"Well, Virginia wanted me to find others to join her sports club. I guess after what happened on the first week, you wouldn't be interested."

I laughed. "You would be right, though I was never interested in sports to begin with."

"Well, I guess I'll see you around."

She gave a goodbye wave and trotted off. I sighed and waited at my corner for the rest of the day.

* * *

When I got back to my room that night, I announced to my roommates, "Well, that's it. There aren't enough members to form the club."

"What did I tell ye?" Jerry shrugged. "Who would take interest in yer club?"

"M-me." Manuel spoke up.

"Manuel? I know ye said ye were interested, but I didn' think ye would actually sign up."

"Mom said to try things if I'm interested in them, and I'm interested in what Adrian has to offer."

"Well, _I_ joined the drama club, and we are already makin' plans to put on a play in November."

"Good for you." I let out a frustrated sigh. "You get to act while I still don't have a club."

"Oh hush up on yer pity party."

"Um, can't we still play your games?" Manuel asked.

"Roleplaying games require at least four players, but we can still play _Magic_."

"Can you teach me how to play on Sunday?"

"Sure."

I felt my spirits lift. It was nice to see that Manuel still wanted to play, even though we don't have a club. I took out my boxes of cards and placed them on my bed. I told Manuel, "You can look over them if you want; get an idea of what the game's like, you know?"

"Really?" He walked over and sat next to me.

I nodded and took out a few cards.

"Just keep yer enthusiasm down." Jerry yawned. "I be hittin' the hay."

Manuel and I spent the next thirty minutes looking over the different cards. I did my best not to turn casual remarks into explanations on the rules. Most of the time, we just commented on the concepts of the different colors and the artwork of the cards. Manuel seemed to have taken a liking to Green magic. Personally, I thought it was because of his…background. The spells and creatures of Black magic, however, scared him, and he was glad that the Black magic we learn at school was nothing like that.

Looking at the pictures of swamps, sacrifice, vampires, and rotting monsters, I had to agree with him.

* * *

 **Next time, the first exam.**

 **"Brooms for Old Shoes" is an actual chorale song composed by Thomas Ravenscroft. As such, I do not own the song.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Do I own** _ **Magical Diary**_ **? Nope.**

* * *

Chapter 9: I Take my First Exam

-September 22nd, Sunday-

I screamed in frustration in my pillow that morning when I found out that I had forgotten to visit the magic shop at the mall yesterday… _again_. So many things were happening that I kept forgetting to ask Manuel where that shop was.

Speaking of Manuel…

Today was the day I would teach him how to play _Magic_. After getting breakfast, we both sat on my bed and I took out a couple of cards. Fanning out a few in my hand, I began my explanation.

"As you've noticed," I started, "there are five colors of cards, plus artifacts. Different colors have their own quirks. White is usually defensive, Blue is deceptive, Red is aggressive, Green is regenerative, and Black is sabotaging. Most players play with two colors, though you can have one color just to start with. You can play with more colors, but that's usually risky, since it requires you to have so many different kinds of mana to play."

"Mana?" Manuel asked. "They come from land cards, right?"

"Most of the time, yes, but you can also get mana from certain artifacts, creatures, and spells. In the _Magic_ mythos, planeswalkers draw mana from these lands in order to summon creatures and cast spells. So, you see these numbers at the top? Those show…"

* * *

-September 26th, Thursday-

After taking Green magic class, I was stopped in the hallway by Wally—I mean Norton.

"Professor Grabiner is having a study session." He said. "I would recommend coming, since the exam is tomorrow."

I mentally slapped myself. The exam! I had forgotten about that, too!

"Yeah, I'll definitely come!" I said.

"Manuel said he would be there too, so we should see him there."

Norton led me to a classroom. There were many students already seated, but Professor Grabiner wasn't there yet. Among the crowd, I recognized Manuel and Mary. Norton and I found seats where we could sit next to each other. In a few minutes, the Grabinator had arrived.

"Open your notebooks, if you have them." He began. "This is not a quiz. This is for your own benefit. If you do not know the answer, look it up or ask someone. If you have paid any attention to your schoolwork up to this point, you should be aware of a broad range of uses for magic within the pentachromatic system. Mr. Arias."

Manuel's ears perked up. "Y-yes sir?"

"If I wished to cast a spell to make a beast's fur fall off, what color of magic would I use?"

"G-Green, sir?"

Professor Grabiner pinched the bridge of his nose. "I should hope that you would know that much without the need to ask for my approval. Miss Sue."

"Sir?" Mary asked.

"What color of magic would you use to transform a lump of coal into a diamond?"

"Red, sir?"

"And how, may I ask, would you use the magic of force to accomplish this?"

"Well, diamonds are formed with a combination of pressure and heat, and since both forces stem from Red magic—."

"Um, Mary?" A Horse with blonde hair interrupted her. "Diamonds aren't actually made from coal."

"They aren't?"

"May I also remind you, Miss Sue," Grabiner jumped back into the conversation, "that we are talking about magic, not science? Miss Middleton, I assume you know the answer?"

"Blue." The Horse answered with confidence.

"Correct. Blue magic is the magic of change, and I shouldn't have to remind everyone of that. Mr. Robertson."

( _No, not me!_ )

"Yes sir?" I asked, worried as to what he would ask.

"If you were to remove graffiti from walls, what color of magic— _Mr. Danson_!"

"Yes sir?" A boy asked.

I turned to see who it was. It was the same Wolf who sang on stage during club signups.

( _Another Danson? What did he do to get Grabiner's attention?_ )

"As you do not appear to have need of this study session," Grabiner said in a low voice, "you are excused. You may find more challenging material to occupy you this Saturday in detention. I might have you remove the graffiti in the dungeons," he turned to look at me, "using which magic, Mr. Robertson?"

( _So much for a free break._ )

"Black, sir."

* * *

-September 27th, Friday-

That morning, I woke up to someone screaming in my ear, "Wake up Robertson!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. I sat up and found Wally glaring at me at eye level. He wore a soldier's helmet and a sticker with "Siegfried" written on it.

"What is it?" I asked.

"You didn't even hear the knock on the door earlier, did you?" Siegfried snapped. "General Potsdam came by and dropped off our exam schedules." He shoved a piece of paper into my hand. "Read it and make it on time, Robertson!"

( _Wow, he's taking this solider persona to the extreme._ )

He turned to face Manuel, who had a pillow covering his head, and shouted, "Wake up Arias!"

"I'm awake I'm awake, just don't shout!" Manuel removed the pillow and sat up.

"I will repeat what I said to Robertson: General Potsdam came by…"

* * *

It goes without saying that I was nervous about the exam. I was scheduled to stop by one of the exam rooms one hour after lunch. I found my door and stared at it. Unlike the classroom doors, there were no windows, so I couldn't see what the inside was like. It was also closed.

( _I guess I'm supposed to knock._ )

I rapped my fist on the door two times.

All of a sudden, things became blurry. I felt like my body was shifting in different directions, like it was caught up between several ocean currents going in opposite ways. It was a very nauseating experience. When things became clear and the shifting ceased, I found myself in a short stone hallway. I was able to see clearly despite there being no light source. I looked around. There were no doors, windows, holes, or anything to indicate an exit.

"You are now in Dungeon Level One, Layout 5B." A voice spoke.

I turned my head to the direction of the voice, which seemed to come from one end of the hallway.

"The exit from this dungeon lies beyond the wall in front of you." The voice explained. "There are no doors in your room. You must use magic in order to escape. Good luck."

( _Great. How am I going to do this?_ )

I approached the wall and knocked on one brick with my fist. It was pretty sturdy, so will my magic be enough to break through it? I learned a lot of spells from Red magic class, so I think a Blast spell would do the trick…hopefully.

I backed all the way against the other end of the hallway and focused my attention on the wall in front of me. I raised my hand and channeled magic into it. My hand glowed yellow, then orange, then finally red. The glow moved up my wrist and down my fingers to gather at the palm. I could feel pressure bearing down on my palm; the spell was ready.

I thrust my arm forward and shot the collected energy at the wall.

BOOM!

The wall was utterly destroyed. Beyond it were stairs leading up.

"Alright!" I said.

I ran forward and up the stairs.

I found myself in the courtyard in front of the main building. Waiting for me was Professor Potsdam. She beamed and said, "Congratulations, Adrian! Although you can't use violent methods for everything, you still pass the exam and get five merits."

"Thanks, professor." I said.

Next to her, a set of stairs leading down suddenly appeared. A Snake with white hair ran up and quickly shielded her eyes from the sun. Professor Potsdam turned her attention to the girl and also congratulated her. I turned around and noticed that the stairs I had climbed were gone.

( _Magic, what a convenient thing._ )

* * *

-September 28th, Saturday-

My roommates and I decided to go to the pastry store at the mall to find a celebratory treat for passing our exams. Louis passed by using Black magic to pull out the stones from the wall. Manuel Teleported out, but he wound up reappearing on the roof of Toad Hall. Fortunately for him, the professors were there to Teleport him back to the ground.

At the pastry shop, I got a slice of chocolate cheesecake, Manuel had a croissant, and Louis had strawberry short cake with two vanilla cake pops on the side. We sat down together and talked about our week.

When we were finished with our sweet treats, I asked Manuel, "Can you show me where the magic shop is?"

"Sure." He nodded.

"I would like to go, too." Louis spoke up.

"Alright, follow me."

We followed Manuel onto the second floor. We approached a dead end and saw that there was a closed shop. A sign up front read: Candles & More, coming soon!

"This is actually an illusion." Manuel explained. "All you have to do is walk in. Oh, but you have to make sure no normal people are looking before you go in."

He looked behind him and, seeing no one but us, he walked right through the closed doors. I decided to go next. As I got closer, I could see the illusion of the closed store melt away. In its place was a store filled with all sorts of things. A sign above the doors read: Gilwise's Magic Emporium. Completely fascinated with what I was seeing, I entered the store.

( _Wow._ )

The store was cluttered with things. Wands and amulets behind glass cases, gloves and glasses on shelves, and wings—.

( _Wings?_ )

Hanging on the walls were different types of wings. There were fairy wings, butterfly wings, bat wings, and even angel wings. There were also all sorts of ears and tails on display as well. I looked at Manuel and asked, "Are those wings and such real?"

"No," he answered, "but magic can make them move like they are real. However, they don't have any purpose other than fashion."

"So you can't fly with those wings?"

"No."

"So how can you tell these things apart from the real deal?"

"You just have to ask the person wearing them." Manuel's ears twitched and his tail moved to the left a little. "I've already told you that these are real, right?"

"You did."

( _I wonder if Damien's wings are real…sigh…why am I even thinking about him?_ )

"You can also do an Inspection spell on these things." I heard Louis say.

I turned around to see Louis looking at some hats. He walked up to the front counter and asked the man behind it, "What kind of charms are on these hats?"

"A hat man, are we?" The man asked. "Those hats just give off auras."

"What kind of auras?"

"Auras of cuteness, coolness, weirdness, things like that."

"Hm, not really my thing. Can you do custom enchantments?"

"I can, but it can get really pricey. What kind of enchantment are you looking for?"

"An enchantment that changes your voice whenever you wear the hat."

"Voice changing?" The clerk scratched at his goatee. "That would be around…eighty dollars."

"Eighty?! I don't have that kind of money!"

"Save up then, kiddo."

Louis adjusted his feathered hat and, temper rising, said, "Good sir, I am not to be treated like a kid. I am a gentleman, and I demand respect!"

"Whoa, whoa, sorry 'sir'."

"That inflection in your voice! You are not taking me seriously, are you?!"

"Louis," Manuel spoke up, "please don't start a fight."

"Manuel, this man is insulting my character!"

"Don't do anything stupid." I joined in. A thought crossed my mind and said, "It wouldn't be very gentlemanly if you started a fight, would it?"

Louis opened his mouth as if to say something, but only a sigh came out. He turned to face us and said, "You are right. I should not be wasting my time with those who show no respect."

( _Whew. Good save there, Adrian._ )

We decided to leave the store for now. Behind us, I could hear the clerk mutter, "Toads…"

* * *

 **Next time, school elections. Who will run for what?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Beating a dead horse here.**

* * *

Chapter 10: I Get Involved with Student Elections

-September 29th, Sunday-

I was looking at my planner when I noticed something was written down for Friday. Written in little words were: application for freshmen president and treasurer open; must not have any demerits. I looked at my roommates and asked, "There are elections here?"

"Like it says on the planner." Bartholomew said, scratching his head underneath the fur cap.

"Are any of you going to run?"

"Not I."

"Well, I've never been into elections myself. I'll pass."

"I…might." Manuel said a little reluctantly. "I'll need to think about it more."

"No rush; applications aren't until Friday, anyways. Want to try building your first deck?"

"Yes." Manuel got up and sat next to me.

I got out my cards and said, "Okay, first off, would you like to play with one or two colors, or would you like to try an artifact deck?"

"Green deck."

"Alright, let me get out the Green cards. The most important thing about deckbuilding is balance. Too little land and you might not be able to play anything, too much land and you won't have enough creatures or spells to defend yourself and attack. Let's start with creatures…"

* * *

-October 2nd, Wednesday-

Today, I shared Green magic class with Mary.

"So have you heard about the student elections?" Mary asked me.

"Yeah."

"Are you going to sign up for them?"

"No."

"I'm going to run for president, but Virginia thinks that Minnie Cochran will win." She rolls her eyes. "I am so glad she has such confidence—."

"Settle down, kits and cubs!" The voice of Professor Potsdam spoke.

We fell silent.

"There are some things I need to talk to you about before we begin today's class. Most of you identify yourselves as a boy or a girl, and that identity might be very important to you, even if your own physical traits might not necessarily match."

"Wait," Mary whispered, "this isn't going to be about _sex education_ , is it?"

"But even with humans," Professor Potsdam went on, "sex is always not as simple as 'male' or 'female' with nothing in between, and in the magical world, there are many more possibilities which you should be aware and respectful of. Some entities are sexless and will be confused if you address them with masculine or feminine terms. Some can change gender roles at will or be both at once. Some beings even have more than two sexes, all of which can be difficult for the English language to cope with.

"Furthermore, some beings will take offense to being called 'it'. It is both wise and polite to ask those who you meet how they prefer to be addressed. In order to make things easier, the magical community has their own special pronouns to use when gender is unknown. Everybody, repeat after me: e, em, eir, eirs, emself."

We repeated the words back to her.

( _This is like elementary school all over again._ )

"Here's an easy way to remember: 'Someone with enough magic can say whatever e wants!' Now to begin class. Everyone gets hurt at some point in their lives, so it's a good idea to learn how to Heal yourself. Now keep in mind, this spell only works with minor injuries and ailments, for more serious things…"

* * *

-October 4th, Friday-

That afternoon, I was looking though my White magic book when Manuel entered the room and announced, "I-I did it."

I sat up and asked, "Did what?"

"I…I applied for treasurer."

"You don't sound so sure of yourself."

Manuel closed the door and sat on his bed. He confessed, "I-I'm pretty nervous about this. I-I'm not so sure I can do this."

"Then why did you apply?"

"Because…I…" Manuel words became mumbles.

"What?"

"I-I want to _be_ somebody here. I've never been anything other than 'that boy with the ears and tail' to everyone. I want to be _noticed_ , Adrian."

"I notice you, Manuel."

"That's because we share the same room." Manuel's face scrunched up. "Be honest with me: if we weren't roommates, would I be someone other than a freshman with wolf ears and a tail to you?"

I did not know how to answer that. Honestly, I probably would have just known him as someone with ears and a tail, just because he stood out that way. I don't think I would have been able to approach him for fear of being unintentionally rude.

Manuel took my silence as an answer. "I thought so. That's why I'm running for treasurer."

"Well, do you need any help?" I offered.

"I don't know; I'll be receiving further instructions from Professor Grabiner on Monday."

"Wally and I will do what we can to support you."

Manuel's face eased up and he said, "Thank you."

"Who will do what now?" A familiar voice asked.

Wally—wait, he's wearing the top hat, so he's Carlyle. Carlyle stood at the door and stared at us.

"Manuel's running for treasurer," I explained, "and I said we would support him."

"I am fine with supporting our friend and roommate, but _what_ is my name?"

"Carlyle."

"Very good." He focused his attention to Manuel and said, "Manuel."

"Yes?" He asked.

"It is good to see you stepping up to do something. I will most certainly help out if I can."

"You guys…" It looked like Manuel was about to cry. "Thank you…so much."

* * *

-October 5th, Saturday-

Once more, we went to the mall together. I've noticed that Wally always assumed the persona of Louis whenever we went, and he always ate something at the pastry shop. Manuel and I had no particular schedule; we just went wherever we felt like going.

When we returned, we found that there was a box left in front of our door.

"Now what do we have here?" Louis asked. "It can't be the mail, since it was already delivered this morning."

He approached the box and examined it. He looked at me and said, "It has your name on it."

"Mine?"

I also examined the box. Taped to the top was a white card and written in cursive and purple ink was my name.

( _Who would send me something?_ )

"Purple ink. I wonder if a girl sent this to me?" I mused.

"Well, what's inside?" Manuel asked.

"Only one way to find out."

I carefully opened the folds of the box to reveal a—.

"Pie!" Louis suddenly exclaimed.

Sure enough, there was a pie in the box. I took a whiff: apple. I reported this fact to my roommates.

"You think it's poisoned?" I also asked.

"Poisoned?" Louis asked incredulously. "Why would someone want to poison you?"

"Why would someone send me a whole pie?"

"Secret admirer, maybe?"

( _Secret admirer? It could be from Damien…but it seemed like he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. It could be from Mary. Does she like me?_ )

Just in case, I did a quick Inspection spell. Snippets of information flew through my mind: fresh apples, milk, sugar, eggs, and other such ingredients, but no poison. I announced, "Not poisoned. We might as well eat it."

"We could borrow some forks and knives from the cafeteria." Manuel suggested.

"To the cafeteria!" Louis shouted and ran off.

Manuel and I shrugged and we ran after him.

* * *

-October 8th, Tuesday-

Yesterday, Manuel had received posters and badges from the school, at the cost of some of his pocket money. Today, Meese and I walked around the buildings with Manuel to help put up posters and pass out badges to everyone we met. Along the way, we saw other people doing the same thing. We also saw who else was running for what: Mary Sue for president, Minnie Cochran for president, Jacob Blaising for treasurer, and Suki Sato for president.

"It looks like you only have one opponent, Manuel." Meese noted.

"Jacob Blaising…" Manuel muttered. "I think he's a Falcon."

"Falcon, hm? I have the feeling he's going to charm his way to the position of treasurer."

"I-I don't have charm."

"And I don't think you need it." I gave my two cents. "Anyone who's voting for people just for charm are idiots. Good leaders need to have good character, and you definitely have that, Manuel."

"Thanks…"

Once we ran out of posters and badges, Manuel told us, "Tomorrow afternoon there will be campaigning. Can you help me out then, too?"

"Of course." I nodded.

"You never had to ask." Meese said.

* * *

-October 9th, Wednesday-

Chaos. That was the only word to describe that afternoon.

Tables were set up in the front courtyard, and I think the whole school was present. Not only were there elections for the freshmen class, but all the other grades as well. Signs were held up, people were shouting, and some students even used magic in various ways to get attention.

"For someone dependable and kind, vote Minnie Cochran for freshman president!"

"Jacob Blaising for freshmen treasurer; he _knows_ how to handle money!"

"Suki for freshmen president; it has been foretold!"

"There's no better student for freshmen president than Mary Sue!"

Near the middle of it all, we felt swamped. Manuel, it seemed, had a case of stage fright, and he would not speak up. With so many people around, I felt like hiding in a corner like a scared dog. Hattingway, on the other hand, was doing his best to bring attention to his roommate, but in vain. He shouted, but his voice was lost among the other callers.

Manuel laid his head on his table and sighed, "No one's noticing me."

"Some people are doing magic light shows." I noted. "I guess we could use magic as well, but how?"

"I can't think of any spells to use." Hattingway admitted. "However, there's more to attention getting than shouting and magic. Look," he pointed towards Mary's table, "Mary's singing and dancing."

True enough, Mary was singing and dancing in front of her table. It was energetic, but awkward. Nevertheless, people were staring at her as she sang over and over, " _Come on people, you know what to do: come on over and vote for Mary Sue!_ "

"I am _not_ singing or dancing in front of anyone." Manuel groaned.

"None of us are." I made my opinion known.

"Well then..." Hattingway pondered for a few seconds, then shouted, "Aha!"

Manuel lifted his head up. "What is it?"

"Two words: human tower!"

I gaped. "No way. I don't have the arm strength to do that."

"We can do it if we use the Boost Strength spell. You know it, don't you Adrian?"

"Yes…"

"Then we can each cast the spell on ourselves and then lift Manuel up. Heck, we can even toss him up for extra flair!"

"Don't throw me in the air!" Manuel looked horrified.

"I'm kidding about that part, Manuel. Anyway, this will be a good way to get attention. You up for it?"

"Just as long as you don't drop or throw me…"

"I'll give it a try." I shrugged.

"Okay! Get on the table; we can get more height this way."

We all climbed on top of the table, hoping it wouldn't break under our weight. I channeled energy from my core to my arm and leg muscles. I could feel the magic reinforce and strengthen them. Hattingway and I cupped our hands and crouched down. Manuel carefully placed a foot in each pair of hands. At Hattingway's count to three, we hoisted Manuel up.

"Careful! Careful!" Manuel panicked.

"We got you, we got you." Hattingway reassured him.

Though we had the strength, we did not necessarily have the balance. Our hands couldn't help but wobble some, and poor Manuel worked to maintain his balance. I turned my head and saw that some people were finally taking notice of us. With nothing else to say, I said, "Manuel Arias for freshmen class treasurer!"

Hattingway joined in, "He is kind! He is understanding! He (steady there, Adrian) is what this school needs!"

"For someone you can truly rely on, vo-whoa-whoa—!"

I could feel my muscles weaken to their default state. The spell was wearing off. I could tell that the same thing was happening to Hattingway. Our hands trembled and our legs buckled. Manuel slowly swayed and, in an attempt to not fall, he suddenly jumped forward. As we collapsed on top of the table, he landed on the ground on his hands and feet. He slowly stood up and we saw that all attention was on him.

"P-please vote." Manuel said meekly.

* * *

We returned to our room later that day, tired and a little humiliated.

"That could have gone better." Hattingway sighed.

"Why does Boost Strength have to be so temporary?" I questioned out loud.

Manuel lowered his head and said, "Thanks for trying guys, but I don't know if I will get the position. I saw Jacob's table, and he was giving away _cupcakes_."

"It's not over yet." I tried to be positive. "When is the actual voting?"

"Friday…and I have to give a speech."

"A speech?"

"Do you know what to say?" Hattingway asked.

"N-not really. I mean, I have an idea, but I don't know how to say it."

"Well, you have tomorrow to think about it."

"Y-yeah. Actually, I think I'll start tonight."

So while Hattingway and I went to bed, Manuel stayed up for who knows how long to work on his speech.

* * *

 **Next time, speech and election results.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: this "Disclaimer" running gag is getting old.**

* * *

Chapter 11: I Witness the Election Results

-October 11th, Friday-

The gym was packed that afternoon. Lined up at the back of the stage were candidates from all grades. The speeches themselves weren't long, but considering there were a little over a dozen candidates, it took some time overall. The seniors spoke first, then it went on in descending grade order.

When it came time for the freshmen to speak, the presidential candidates went first. Minnie, a Butterfly with long brown hair, spoke about lending a helping to everyone who needed it. Suki, the white haired Snake that I saw after exams, talked about how spirits told her to run…and something about a lizard turning into a snake in her dreams. Mary expressed her desire to unify everyone into working together, and to introduce new traditions to the school.

Last up were the two candidates for freshmen treasurer: Jacob and Manuel. First up was Jacob, whom I recognized as the Falcon who gave the singing demonstration at club signups. He bore a look of confidence as he talked about how the school's money would _obviously_ be safe in his capable hands, and he would know how to spend it right. His speech earned him thunderous applause and a few hoots and hollers. I felt that Manuel's chances were slim.

Then Manuel took his place at the podium. From where Jerry and I stood, I could see that our roommate was looking uncomfortable. His eyes were wide and made darting glances between the floor and the audience. He took a deep breath and began to speak.

"H-h-hello." He stammered. "M-my name is M-Manuel A-Arias."

( _He's got stage fright. Not good._ )

"I-I w-w-wou-would like to be t-treasure-treasurer b-because I…I…" His words became mumbles that couldn't be heard. He soon spoke back up, "I-I belie-believe that duty is important, a-and I may not l-look like it, but I'm a v-very hard worker. I w-will do my best to b-be the best treasurer possible!"

He bowed his head and received a small amount of applause. Professor Potsdam came up and told up to line up at certain classrooms to cast our votes. Of course, I would do my part and vote for Manuel. As for president…I didn't want to do this to Mary, but it seemed like Minnie would be a good choice.

As we stood in line for voting, I asked Jerry, "Who are you voting for president?"

"I be voting for Suki." He answered.

"Suki? Why?"

"Because I believe that spirits of the Otherworld affect all things, including dreams an' fate. One time, I dreamed of an albatross flying o'er an island of pegasi, and the next day—oh, it be my turn to vote now!"

Jerry entered the classroom and closed the door. Less than a minute later, he came back out. It was my turn now. On one of the desks were slips of paper with names and circles to fill out with a nearby pencil. Next to it was a closed box with a slit in it. I cast my votes and left the room.

Almost half an hour later, the votes were counted and we were all called back to the gym. Staring with the senior class, the positions were announced. Unlike the speeches, the announcements went by pretty quickly.

"And now," Professor Potsdam announced, "winning by one vote, the position of freshman class treasurer goes to…Manuel Arias!"

There was some applause. I looked at Manuel and saw that he looked very surprised. I myself was both surprised and elated that my roommate won.

( _He won by one vote?! Holy carp._ )

"And the position of class president goes to…Minnie Cochran!"

There was a lot of applause when her name was announced. When the announcements were finished, the winners and losers of the election came to join everyone else. I ran and dodged past other students to reach Manuel. When I was close to him, I shouted, "You did it, Manuel!"

"Y-yeah." He smiled. "I did do it!"

"And by one vote, too!"

"I know!"

Jerry ran up to us and wrapped an arm around each of us. I ducked out of the way, but Manuel let himself get caught in the sideways embrace. Jerry said, "Tis be great, Manuel! Tomorrow, I treat ye both to a cake at the bakery!"

"You don't have to do that, Jerry." Manuel tried to protest.

"Hogglewash! This be a time to celebrate, me deckmate! I won' take 'no' for an answer!"

( _"Hogglewash"? Doesn't he mean "hogwash"?_ )

"Well, cake _does_ sound good—."

"Tis settled then! Tomorrow, we feast on cake!"

* * *

-October 12th, Saturday-

When I woke up that morning, I saw that Manuel was not there. I thought that he might have gone to the bathroom at first, but after several minutes of waiting, there was still no sign of him. I walked over to Wally's bed and started to shake him.

"Wake up." I said urgently.

"Mmn, what?" Wally groaned.

"Manuel isn't here!"

Wally sprang out of bed and went to his hat collection. He put on an explorer's cap and took out a name tag. As he wrote on it and stuck it to his night clothes, he said, "Today is a day of celebration and cake! Manuel would never miss out on this!"

This was the first time I saw him in the explorer's cap. On the sticker, the name "Umbra" was written. Umbra put his hands on his sides, making a heroic pose, and announced, "Today, we shall look for our lost friend! Who knows what perils we shall find, but if we work together—!"

The door opened and Manuel stepped in. He said, "I'm back."

Umbra's arms fell from his sides. He asked, "Manuel! Where have you been?"

"Doing deliveries." He explained. "Every Saturday, I have to get up early in the morning and deliver mail and allowances to all the freshmen." He held two envelopes towards us and said, "Here's your allowances."

Umbra removed his cap and tore off his sticker. He looked at me and said, "You got me worried for nothing, Adrian!"

"I didn't know he had to do deliveries!" I said with my hands raised up defensively.

"I'm sorry I made you guys worried." Manuel said. "I should have told you earlier."

"It's fine." Wally and I both said.

Later that day, as promised, we went to the mall together and had cake. I had lemon cheesecake, Manuel had German chocolate cake, and Louis had red velvet cake. Louis insisted on paying for everyone's cake, but Manuel managed to talk him out of it, saying that as treasurer, he wouldn't recommend spending so much when he already spends money on desserts each week.

Overall, today was a good day with good friends…and cake.

* * *

-October 14th, Monday-

After Red magic class, I returned to my room for the day. Before I could open the door, I heard someone speaking on the other side. I could tell right away that it was Wally that was speaking, and what he said worried me.

"Passionate people, women as well as men," Wally said, "are easier to protect oneself against, than someone clever who keeps silent. No, you must leave—and right away. No more speeches; I've made up my mind. It's not possible for you to stay here, not with us, given your hostility to me."

Was he arguing with someone?

( _Is he arguing with Manuel? Is he going to kick him out?! No, that can't be right!_ )

"Your words are useless." Wally continued. "You won't persuade me."

I unlocked the door and stepped in. Instead of arguing with Manuel like I thought he was doing, Wally was alone. He had his bedsheets wrapped around his body and he held a stack of papers in his hand. He wore no hat or name sticker this time around. He lowered the papers and looked at me.

"Who were you talking to?" I asked. "And why are you wearing your bedsheets?"

"No one." Wally answered. "I am reading my lines for the November play, and I am wearing a makeshift toga to fit the role."

"Oh yeah, forgot you were in the drama club. What play?"

" _Medea_. I play the role of Creon, the king of Corinth who wishes to banish Medea."

"Now those lines make sense."

"What did you think I was doing?"

"Well…I thought you were kicking Manuel out of our room." I said in a small voice.

Wally gaped at me. "Kick Manuel out? Don't be ridiculous, Adrian! I have no reason to kick our friend and roommate out!"

"Yeah, that _was_ a stupid thing to think." I admitted.

"Very much so. I'm going to keep practicing. If I'm going to be a bother, feel free to find another spot to pass the time at."

With the situation awkward enough as it was, I decided to do just that.

* * *

-October 19th, Saturday-

That morning, after we got our weekly allowances, we were about to head out for breakfast when there was a knock at the door. Wondering who would come knocking at our door, I got up and answered it.

Standing in front of us was Minnie, the recently elected freshman class president.

"Hello!" She greeted cheerfully. "I'm here to let you know that I offer tutoring sessions in the library on Saturdays."

"Thanks," I said, "but why are you letting _us_ know?"

"I'm letting all the freshmen know. So, if you have any trouble understanding spells, feel free to see me."

"Sure—wait a minute, we have a library?"

"Of course!"

"I've never seen a library around here."

I looked at Louis, since he was the one who gave us the initial tour. He shrugged and said, "I didn't see a library when I first got here. I only showed you what I saw."

"I'll show you where it is." Minnie offered.

We decided to take her up on that offer. It turned out the library was on the second floor of the main building, where the sophomore classes were. The library was kind of small, but it had all kinds of books that I have never seen. There were also several students present, either reading books or studying at the tables.

I seriously considered checking out some books.

"Are there any special rules to this library?" I asked.

"No," Minnie answered, "it works just like any other library."

"And Professor Potsdam didn't tell the freshmen about the library…why?"

"It's because freshmen aren't required to use the library. Learning magical history is part of sophomore year, so you will see a lot of sophomores using the library."

"Wow," Manuel said, "you know a lot."

"I did a lot of research since acquiring the position of president." She faced Manuel and said, "Oh, I should go ahead and tell you, we're supposed to work together for all the school events."

"All the events?" Manuel seemed a little intimidated.

"Don't worry, I'll let you know when I need your help with something."

"Thanks."

"So, would you like some tutoring today?"

"Not today," Louis said, "we're going to the mall today."

"Actually," I said, "I think I want to look around the library."

"You can go to the library on any day; we can only go to the mall once a week."

"Sorry, but my curiosity is piqued right now…" I wandered off to the nearest bookshelf.

"Fine then. You coming, Manuel?"

"No," I heard him say, "I think I'll look around, too."

"I'll just go and have all the pastries to myself, then."

I found all sorts of books in the library: _Malevolent Entities of the Otherworld_ , _Merlin: The History Behind the Legend_ , _Wildseeds of Salem_ , _Encyclopedia of Otherworld Alchemical Ingredients_ …most of them fascinated me. I picked out a book labeled _Beasts and Fae of the Magical World_ , found a chair to sit in, and started to read.

( _"Elemental Fae naturally channel power of their assigned element. There are Undines for water, Sylphs for wind, Pygmies for earth, and Salamanders for fire. They are inseparable from their elements…"_ )

"Adrian?" I felt someone shake my shoulder.

The voice startled me out of my reading trance. Standing next to me was Manuel. He said, "It's almost lunch time."

"Lunch?! I didn't even have breakfast!"

"I tried to get your attention earlier, but you were too busy reading. I didn't want you going without food, so I had to get your attention this time."

I set the book down, now realizing how hungry I was. I admitted, "Yeah, I'm starving. Let's go eat."

* * *

 **Next time, the second exam and dancing.**

 **Wally's lines are from the actual script of _Medea_. As such, I will go ahead and say that I do not own it.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: going to stop that, now.**

* * *

Chapter 12: I Dance in the Dark

-October 25th, Friday-

Today was the day of the second exam. If it weren't for Wally reminding me a few days beforehand, I would have been caught completely off guard. This time, my exam was scheduled one hour before lunch.

I stood in front of the door that served as the teleporter to the dungeons. I took in a deep breath before I knocked on the door. Once again, there was the shifting feeling of being teleported. When it was over, I was back in the dungeons, though the place was different this time.

The floor in front of me was completely gone. Several yards away, I could see intact ground. Like last time, a voice spoke and gave me instructions.

"Greetings, Adrian Robertson." It said. "Behold the abyss. You will find the exit to this dungeon on the other side. This dungeon level is now warded. You may not teleport outside of this dungeon level. You must cross the abyss in order to succeed. You may choose to surrender at any time, and you will be retrieved from the dungeon safely. However, you will fail the exam and receive demerits. Good luck."

The first thing I decided to do was look around. Next to the abyss were a pile of large rocks. I supposed someone could use Stoneshape to make a bridge, but I had not taken enough Black magic classes to learn it. Behind me was a wide corridor. I decided to explore.

I found that the corridor formed a U shape that stopped at a dead end. At that dead end was a wooden bridge that was attached to nothing. The bridge looked wide enough to cross the abyss, but…

( _How do I get it to the abyss?_ )

Just for the sake of trying, I grabbed one end of the bridge and pulled. As expected, it was too heavy to move by force.

( _Magical force, on the other hand…_ )

I walked across the bridge until I reached the other end. I focused magic to my hand until I felt it press down on my palm. With a pushing motion towards the bridge, it went sliding across the floor until it hit the other end of the corridor. I ran after it, excited that I had a solution.

Fortunately, the sideways corridor was wide enough for me to continue Pushing the bridge. I continued using the Push spell until it was close to the abyss. Upon inspecting the edges of the abyss, I saw that there were little stone ledges. I assumed they were there to catch the bridge to prevent it from falling into the abyss.

With one final Push, the bridge flew forward and fell on top of the two ledges. The abyss was sealed and I was able to cross. After a little victory cheer, I ran across the bridge and found the stairs leading up.

Once again, I found myself in the front courtyard. Professor Potsdam was there again to congratulate the students who passed. I was once again congratulated and got five merits for passing.

* * *

-October 27th, Sunday-

I was reading _Beasts and Fae of the Otherworld_ , which I had checked out days ago, when Manuel entered the room. He approached me and said, "I wanted to let you know that the Dark Dance is on Halloween night."

"The what?" I asked.

"I know it's on your planner, but I wanted to tell you, anyways."

"I…haven't actually looked at my planner yet."

I fished out the planner. I saw that Thursday was marked with the words: "Dark Dance at 8:00". The Friday after was marked as a day off. I looked up from my planner and asked Manuel, "What's the Dark Dance?"

"Um, it's a dance…in the dark. Sprits called Jogao are invited to dance with us on Halloween night. All we have to do is dance…that's all."

"Okay, I have tons of questions. One, what are Jogao? Two, why dance in the dark? Three, why dance on—?"

"Slow down! Jogao are from the Otherworld and you're not allowed to see them. That's all I know about them. The Dark Dance itself is something that's done every Halloween night and it lasts until dawn."

"So that's why we have Friday off: to sleep in. Do we have to go?"

"It's tradition, so yes."

"I can't dance, Manuel."

"Neither can I. Don't worry, it's in the dark, so no one can see you, anyways."

"…True."

* * *

-October 30th, Wednesday-

Once again, when I returned to my room after class, I found Wally wrapped in his bedsheets and reading his lines from _Medea_.

"'For a tyrant my will is by nature tender'," he read from his papers, "'and by feeling pity I've been hurt before more than once. And now, woman, I see I'm making a mistake, for you can have your extra day. But let me warn you'—Adrian? When did you get here?"

"Just now. I'll just leave my things and leave you in peace."

"Hold for a minute. Someone left that on the door. It's for you."

He pointed to my bed. Sitting on top of my pillow was a folded piece of paper with my name written on it. I sat down and unfolded the paper. I saw that it was a letter.

 _Dear Adrian, Please don't throw this away. I know I deserve it. I've been terrible to you, and you deserve better. I should have told you what was going on. Please meet me tomorrow before the Dark Dance and I will explain everything. –Damien_

( _…Wha? He wants to talk?_ )

"It's from Damien." I said, lowering the letter.

"Who?" Wally asked.

"Remember that student at Initiation that looked like a demon? That's him."

"Oh... _him_. I don't trust that guy."

"Why not?"

"Just look at him, Adrian!"

"And how is he any different from any of the other students with wings, or from Manuel?"

"Don't you dare compare him to Manuel!" I had not seen him this angry since he bailed out of Initiation. "You see, magical families _know_ each other. Manuel is a Wulver that comes from a generous family. One girl, Pastel, is a Sylph from a family of great charm. Everyone here also knows the three Danson siblings. Damien? No one knows what his family is like, and he refuses to say what he is. I know this because I've tried asking him myself. If _that_ isn't suspicious, I don't know what is."

I was shocked at Wally's attitude.

"That's…pretty prejudiced."

"And what does he want from you, anyways? Freshman Initiation is over; you should have nothing to do with him anymore."

"He just wants to talk."

"Well, just don't get involved with him, alright?"

I said nothing.

"… _Alright_?"

"…I'll leave you to practice." I said and left the room.

* * *

-October 31st, Thursday-

It was an hour after dinner when I started to make my way to the gym. The lights in the corridor were turned off, leaving only moonlight and a faint blue glow of magic to illuminate it. A few more students walked down the corridor, eager to engage in the dance. Up ahead, I could hear the faint sound of drums beating.

I felt a hand grab my arm.

I jerked my arm away and took a few steps back. Standing near me was Damien. He immediately said, "I'm so sorry; I forgot that you didn't like touch."

I didn't really feel like apologizing for something that rattled my nerves, so I said, "Don't do that again, please."

"Sorry, again. I'm glad I could find you, Adrian." He looked away and said, "I've been an idiot. About what I've said that day, I didn't mean it."

I remembered that day and the hurt feelings came back. I said, "You told me to stop bothering you. Did I do anything—?"

"No, not at all!" Damien looked back at me. "It was all my fault. I was intentionally trying to push you away. I'm sure you've heard the stories by now, about me and girls and how I hurt them when they get close. I'm sure you've heard them from William."

"He said you broke the hearts of all the Butterflies last year."

"…It's all true."

I was confused.

( _It's true? But why?_ )

"Why break their hearts? Why push others away?"

"I…don't expect you to understand. Adrian…you're filled with light."

" _Excuse_ me?"

"How can I explain this better…you're a kind person, you're honest and not afraid to hide things, that's what I like about you."

I never thought I would feel that blush return to my face, but it did.

"But me," Damien lowered his eyes, "I've got a lot of dark things in my life, things I can't talk about, not with anyone. When I've been with girls, I can't let them get too close, and if they keep trying, I have to stop them."

( _Wow. This is like that one song, or that one book, but it also sounds unbelievable._ )

"… _That's_ your excuse?" I bluntly asked.

Damien looked back up at me in surprise. "Adrian?"

I don't know what came over me, but words were suddenly pouring out of my mouth.

"Everyone has their dark things they can't talk about, but that doesn't mean you have to push people away! If anything, you need to let more people in! I have issues, too, but I didn't let them stop me from making friends! Yes, there are people who don't like me for those issues, but those people aren't everyone in the world! What I'm trying to say is, well, not everyone will hate you, but you need to make room in your life for those who do like you!"

I took a breath after saying all that. My words brought back many memories. Memories of when I had made friends, only to part with them months later, of finding out that I had interests that I couldn't share with many people, of the day that my parents realized with horror that I was—.

"Adrian." Damien sighed. "You're so innocent. You're not like the others in this school. I've seen you observe and explore this new world with fresh, bright eyes. I've…actually missed being around you, and it ate at me thinking how you must have hated me after that day, and even after I sent you that present—."

"Present?" I asked. "You don't mean that pie, do you?"

"Yes, that was me. I thought I would bring you back something from the Apple Festival, since only seniors were allowed to go."

"Apple Festival? I haven't heard anything about that!"

"Not surprising. I take it you liked it?"

"I did, though I wish you would have written that it was from you."

"I thought you would have thrown it out if you knew."

"Of course not! No one throws out a good pie…unless it's a cream pie at someone's face."

Damien laughed. "That's another thing I like about you: your personality and way of thinking. I don't think I've ever gotten to know someone like you." His face becomes serious again. "Again, I'm sorry for how I acted. I want to try to be friends with you, if we can."

I became wary. "You hurt my feelings last time. You won't try to push me away again, will you?"

"Adrian, I will not hurt you like that again."

"…Okay then. I would like to know more about you, to be honest."

"…About what?" Now Damien was being wary for some reason.

"Like what you do like to do for fun, what movies or books you like, things like that."

"Oh." His face brightened up. "Yes, we'll have time to get to know each other better. For now, though, you have a dance to get to."

"You're not coming?"

"No, I don't do too well with many people around. Oh—before I forget, I must warn you: do not try to look at the spirits."

"Don't worry, I already know that. See you later?"

"See you soon."

I parted ways with Damien. I felt a little elated knowing that we were on good terms. It was too bad that he didn't want to attend the Dark Dance, though.

( _Maybe I should have dragged him there, maybe we could have danced toge—[slap] don't think that! He said we were friends, nothing beyond that!_ )

When I entered the gym, everything was pitch black, unsurprisingly. What I didn't expect, however, were the heavy smells of sap, pine leaves, and hickory smoke, the sounds of dead leaves crunching underneath my feet, and the primal drumbeats that went straight to my brain and heart.

Somehow, I could sense the presence of others nearby, and not just because I heard them softly talking and laughing. I moved slowly with my arms outstretched, making sure I didn't bump into anyone. I had no idea if there were really spirits among us, but I decided to just go with the flow and dance.

The whole experience reminded me of stories from various role playing games and fantasy books. Faefolk would have festive dances during spring and autumn, celebrating rebirth and harvest, respectively. The one obvious difference was those celebrations weren't held in complete darkness. Still the music and smells really made me feel like I was in the woods, partaking in an event unknown to normal humans.

A sudden scream shattered my immersion.

Though the music continued, I stopped moving.

( _What happened?_ )

"My eyes!" A familiar voice screamed.

( _Mary?_ )

I heard the voice of Professor Potsdam exclaim, "Oh my! Mary!"

"Idiot girl." Came the voice of Professor Grabiner. "She should have known better than to use Spirit Sight to look at the Jogao."

"I'll carry her to the hallway. Everyone, carry on; nothing to be concerned about. She will be fine."

" _Fine_? Petunia, they could have _killed_ her! Did you even tell your students about the dangers of looking at the Jogao?!"

"Hieronymus, not in here."

"I swear, Petunia, have you even considered—!"

I heard the door open and close, and the professors' voices could no longer be heard.

( _What happened to Mary?!_ )

I decided to look into this once the Dance was over.

* * *

 **Next time, Otherworld fascination and an invitation.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: I Make Unexpected Plans

-November 4th, Monday-

After some inquiring about Mary's condition on Friday, I found out that she was fine, just a little weak. Like Professor Grabiner had said on Halloween night, she had dared to look at the spirits using Spirit Sight. She was punished with pain from the spirits and she was given demerits and detention from the professors. I did not actually see her until today in White magic class.

Mary looked a little tired and she seemed to avoid eye contact with everyone. I asked her, "Are you alright?"

"Yes." She answered without looking at me. "Don't talk to me about what happened, please."

Respecting her wishes, I said nothing else to her. In a few minutes, Professor Potsdam entered the room and said, "Please make yourselves comfortable, little cygnets." When she took her place, she said, "We have a serious issue to talk about today. Many of you will have learned this from your parents, others will know less or nothing at all."

"Wait," I heard Mary whisper, "this isn't about _sex education_ , is it?"

"There are other realms out there, the closest one being the Otherworld. You may have also heard of it as Elfhame, the Dreaming, or the High Hunting Grounds. Because it is so close to our world, the Otherworld is sometimes referred as to as a 'shadow' of this world. With enough White magic, an adult magician can travel to the Otherworld."

( _So the Otherworld is like the Dreaming?_ )

"Please note that I said 'adult magician'. Can anyone tell me why only adults can go to the Otherworld? Ah yes, Minnie."

"Because the Kahmras feed off the souls of human children," Minnie explained, "especially magical children. They are drawn to any unwarded human who enters the realm. It takes them approximately—."

"Thank you, dear." Professor Potsdam cut her off. "You are right, but that doesn't mean that the Otherworld is a bad place. On the contrary, it's a wonderful place. Magic flows freely there, miracles are commonplace, and magicians need not fear outsiders. In fact, some magicians live in the Otherworld for those reasons. However, humans are not native to that place, and we are nowhere near as resistant to that world's dangers as we are this one's.

"I will warn you right now: do not attempt to go to the Otherworld, not even with an adult to guard you or a powerful artifact or spell to protect you, not even with a friend who has been there before and told you that's it's safe. You have noticed that some of your classmates have otherworldly heritage, but what is safe for them is not safe for you. Most important of all, though, if a spirit invites you to the Otherworld, you must _not_ accept. I am not saying all of this to frighten you, or to challenge you to find a way around my rules. If you disobey, I will not need to punish you, because you will be _gone_."

( _Holy carp, that was grim. She might be scarier than Grabiner!_ )

"Now, let us move on to brighter subjects!" Professor Potsdam suddenly became cheery again. "Today I will briefly talk about the Communication spell. For those of you who have already learned the spell, go ahead and study, everyone else please listen. Communication allows you to talk to a willing subject. It doesn't matter if the subject is human, animal, or spirit, if it wishes to convey something to you when you cast the spell, you will be able to talk to it…"

* * *

-November 8th, Friday-

Ever since that mini lecture, I've been looking into books regarding the Otherworld. Despite Professor Potsdam's warnings about the dangers of the place, I could not help but be fascinated. How similar was it to the Dreaming from _Changeling_? Does it have any aspects of the realms in the other _World of Darkness_ books?

Aside from class, I had a book on me wherever I went. I even read during meal times at the cafeteria, making sure not to get any stains on the pages. Today, I was engrossed in a book titled _Arcadia: A Dangerous Paradise_. So far, it's descriptions of Arcadia were eerily similar to the depictions in _Changeling: The Dreaming_ and _The Lost_. Even after dinner, I was engrossed in reading as I walked back to my Hall.

( _"Though magic flows freely in the Otherworld, it is strongest in Arcadia. The magic blurs the lines of the pentachromatic system, leaving a chaotic rainbow to flow in all directions. The magic there is the most beautiful and powerful, but also lacks any sense of order. Because of this chaos, only the strongest of wizards and Otherworld creatures can survive in Arcadia. The weak who attempt to stay will be—"_ )

"Hello, Adrian." A nearby voice jerks me out of my trance.

I lowered the book and saw Damien in front of me. He smiled and said, "You should watch where you walk; you nearly walked into me." He took a step towards me and asked, "So, what's my little bookworm reading?"

I held up the book I was reading. I said, "This sounds a lot like the Arcadia in my roleplaying books, except it's a lot more dangerous. I just love reading about the different places in the Otherworld."

"I can see it in your eyes. There are many things to know about the magical world, and its community. For example, have you heard of the Glen?"

"The Glen? Is it another place in the Otherworld?"

He laughed. "No, it's a magical restaurant that's near the mall. I was thinking of treating you to lunch there tomorrow."

My eyes widened.

( _Wait, does he want me to go on a_ date _with him?! [slap] No, you're just friends, remember?_ )

"Are you asking me out?" I croaked.

Damien smiled and said patiently, "Adrian, I enjoy your company, but this is just a meal between friends. The Glen is a nice place, and I want to show it to you."

I felt a little embarrassed now. "Sorry I said that. Yeah, I would like to go."

"Great!" He beamed. "How about we meet at the mall entrance at noon tomorrow?"

"Sure."

"I'm looking forward to it already. See you soon, Adrian."

"Yeah, see you later."

We parted ways. I lowered my book and did a lot of thinking on the way back to my room. After seeing what Damien was like during Initiation, I couldn't help but turn everything he says and suggests into something romantic. Now that I think about it, is he putting a leash on that flirtatious behavior because we're friends now, or was it just me?

When I returned to my room, I saw that Manuel and Bartholomew were already there. I announced, "I actually have plans for tomorrow."

"Really?" Bartholomew looked at me with interest.

"Yep, having lunch with a friend."

"How nice. Where are you going?"

"Some place called the Glen."

"The Glen? I actually went there once with my parents. Very pricey place. Who's taking you there?"

I had a feeling that I would get a bad reaction if I told him that I was going with Damien. Instead, I gave the half-truth and said, "Oh, one of the seniors."

"Hm."

Bartholomew said nothing else. Instead, he stretched on his bed. Manuel looked at him and asked, "Are you going to eat more pastries tomorrow?"

"Of course." He let out a surprisingly loud sigh.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm…kind of in a funk right now." He sat up and asked, "You guys have any dating advice to share?"

Both Manuel and I were caught off guard with that question. I was the first to ask, "You're dating?!"

"No, but…" Bartholomew sighed again. "There's this girl…"

"Sorry," Manuel said, "I don't know what to tell you. I've never dated before."

"Me neither." I admitted.

"So great to know that all three of us are losers that have never dated before." Bartholomew said sarcastically. "I'll ask one of the girls when I get a chance."

There was a moment of awkward silence. Manuel eventually asked, "Um, which girl is it?"

"…It's…" Bartholomew mumbled and went back to stretching.

He said nothing else for the rest of the night, leaving us to wonder who this mystery crush was.

* * *

 **Next time, a day with Damien.**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: I Learn More About Damien

-November 9th, Saturday-

I arrived at the mall one hour early. To pass the time, I looked around the shops with Louis and Manuel. Even though we also visited the pastry shop, I bought nothing this time, since I didn't want to spoil my appetite. Of course, I had to listen to my stomach grumble as my friends ate desserts as a consequence.

When it was close to noon, I parted ways with them and waited at the entrance. One minute before noon, Damien had arrived. Though I could not see it, I could sense that he had a glamour on. When he saw me, he smiled and approached me. He extended a hand and asked, "Shall we?"

I looked at the hand and I couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure this isn't a date?"

"It's just a friendly gesture."

I gulped and slowly extended my hand. When it came to rest on his, he wrapped his fingers and gave a light squeeze. The movements weren't sudden, so the urge to pull away didn't come. He guided me out of the mall and into the parking lot.

( _So gentle—[slap] don't think that!_ )

"Y-you know friends don't hold hands like this, right?" I asked.

Damien looked at me and asked, "Does it bother you?"

"No, but two guys holding hands…what would people think?"

"Oh, I see what you mean. Nobody around here will mind. Here we are."

We had arrived at the end of the parking lot, where a section was closed off. It looked like it was undergoing construction, judging by the machines and potholes present. Damien continued to lead me and I saw the scene melt away. In its place was a restaurant covered in vines and purple flowers. A sign read: The Glen.

( _An illusion, just like the magic shop._ )

The interior looked surprisingly normal. There were no flying platters, no brooms sweeping up the place like in _Fantasia_ , in fact, the only things that stood out were the patrons. There was an Otherworld creature that looked like a goblin, a few girls with fairy wings, and a man whose hair looked like it was on fire.

"What do you think?" Damien asked.

"It looks like any other restaurant," I admitted, "exterior not included."

"It is simpler to rely on standard suppliers and build something in keeping with the world. They save their energy for the food."

"What kind of food do they have?"

"You'll have to see for yourself. Let's find a seat first."

( _So it's a 'find your own seat, then order' type of place._ )

We found an empty booth to sit in. I looked for a menu, but found none. Damien reached over to a metal cylinder and pulled something out. When he unrolled it, I saw that it was a scroll. There were pictures of some of the dishes, but the writing was in a language not native to this world.

"What language is this?" I asked.

"Faen." Damien answered. "It's a common language in the Otherworld. You'll start learning it in your junior year."

I stared at the characters in a vain attempt to understand them. I muttered, "And I thought Spanish was hard."

"Would you like me to order for you?"

"No no, I think I can pick from the pictures." I spotted a picture of a slab of ham surrounded by blue leaves. I pointed to that and asked, "That…doesn't have peanut oil in it, does it?"

Damien looked at the writing underneath it and said, "It doesn't. Are you allergic to peanuts?"

"Yeah, horrid day when I first found out. Anyways, I'll try this."

"Without knowing what it is? You're pretty bold for a Toad. Are you sure you're not a Wolf?"

"Letter said I was a Toad, last I checked, and I'll try anything that looks good…and doesn't have peanuts in it."

Damien called over a waiter and said something to him in a quick, but uneven stream of syllables. I guess he was speaking Faen. When the waiter left, Damien looked at me and said, "There's actually something I want to tell you."

( _That you're in love with [slap], he can't say that!_ )

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's…about where I came from. It's not easy to talk about, so please, promise you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."

"If it's not easy to talk about, then why bring it up?"

"Because I know how you are. I believe you won't judge me the same way as everyone else does. You don't have the same expectations as they do, because you weren't born to magic. Now, please promise you won't tell."

I knew I was about to be told a big secret. Heart pounding, I said, "I promise."

"Thank you. As a wildseed, I know you weren't raised in a magical environment…I wasn't either"

That surprised me. Looking at him, how could he _not_ be raised around magic? I asked, "Aren't you a…well…?" I didn't dare say the word "demon", in case he wasn't one at all.

"I'm not human, but my parents were. I'm actually a…changeling."

( _A_ changeling _? He's a real changeling?_ )

"So your parents aren't actually your parents." I said. "Your real family swapped their real child with you."

"You are right."

"I'm sure your adoptive parents must have noticed, blue skin and all that."

Damien sighed and went on, "I didn't look like this until later. I grew up always believing that there was something wrong with me, that the face I saw in the mirror wasn't right, but I didn't know why. I imagined all sorts of things. Perhaps my parents weren't my real parents, perhaps I was a lost prince and someday my real family would come and take me away…and save me."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you _did_ turn out to be a prince."

"Oh?" An amused look appeared on his face. "What makes you think that?"

"I don't know. You look like you could be one."

( _[slap] Idiot! Why did you say that?!_ )

"Thank you, but that was just one of my many childhood fantasies. I never did meet my birth parents, though. I wish I could meet them, even if I'm a…"

I finally dared to say the word, "Demon?"

"Half-demon. If I was a full demon, I would have looked like this from the start." He brushed his face with his fingers. "I saw this face, my true face, when I turned thirteen. I was terrified. When a Seeker found me, e had to teach me how use glamours to hide myself. I pretended to be normal, even though I knew it was a lie. It was a quite a shock when I came to Iris and everyone started demanding to know my bloodline. I couldn't tell them, and I didn't want to explain."

I remembered how Wally acted when I had told him about Damien. I said, "I actually saw that in my roommate a week ago. I don't know why it's such a big deal to him."

"This is why I can tell you this, because it doesn't matter to you. They want to know who I'm related to so they can know my status. There aren't that many all-magical families, and they're very proud of who they are. When I wouldn't answer their questions, that made them think I had something to hide…especially William."

His eyes suddenly lit up and he said, "Food's here."

Sure enough, a waiter came with two plates in his hands. He placed a plate in front of each of us. The ham that I got looked shiny, like it had a glaze on it, and the blue leaves looked plump and thick as aloe. Damien had what looked like whole eggs in a nest made of fragrant smelling leaves.

"You sure those are cooked?" I couldn't help but ask.

"What makes you think they aren't?" Damien asked.

"I just don't want one to hatch and have the chick call you 'mama' just as you're about to eat it."

He laughed. "I have to wonder how your mind works at times, Adrian. I assure you, these are cooked." He picked up an egg and said "Bon Appetit" before popping it into his mouth.

I got out a fork and knife and started on the ham. It didn't taste like ham, but it was still gamey with a hint of honey. It did not take me long to devour it all. Damien, meanwhile, was taking his time eating his eggs.

He pointed at the blue leaves and asked, "Are you going to eat those?"

"Aren't they just garnish?" I asked.

"No, they're edible. Go ahead and try one."

I speared one of the leaves with my fork and blue juice leaked onto the plate. I took a nip off of one end and more juice flowed into my mouth, as well as my robes. I set the leaf down and groaned at the blue stain on my clothes.

"It would be better to eat them whole." Damien suggested.

"You could have told me earlier." I grumbled.

"But do you like it?"

I now noticed the flavor in my mouth. It was sweet and tasted like mixed berries. It was good. I picked up the leaf and ate it whole this time. My mouth was overwhelmed by the sweet taste of its juice. I ate the other leaves in the same fashion until there was nothing left on my plate.

Damien passed me a napkin and said, "You have some juice on your chin."

I wiped my lips and chin with the offered napkin, leaving blue stains on it. I also tried to wipe off the stain on my robes, but without success. I'll just have to change clothes later.

"May I ask you something?" Damien asked.

"What is it?"

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but there has been something on my mind for some time now. Do you like other guys?"

"Uh…"

I turned my head away. I wanted to answer him, but it might make him think I was interested in him…in that way. I asked, "Why do you want to know?"

"Because of your reactions." Damien said.

"My reactions?"

"You were flustered when I told you to write that love letter, when I told you I was interested in you, and even right now. But at the same time it makes you uncomfortable. Why is that?"

"I…am I that easy to read?"

"You are, and I'm good at reading people."

( _I guess I should tell him._ )

I bit my lip. Just thinking about the whole thing was bringing back bitter memories. I finally said, "I…I'm gay, but I can't be."

"'Can't be'?" Damien looked concerned. "Why not?"

"Damien," I lowered my head, "you said you've never met your birth family before, but think about this: you at least _have_ a family. You at least have people that love you. If I were to be what I really I am, I would lose all that."

There was a heavy moment of silence. Eventually, Damien asked, "Do you know for sure?"

"Yes. I told my parents about it, and they said that if I ever brought it up again, they…" I shook my head. "Sorry, I don't want to say any more."

Damien rested his hand on top of mine. I fidgeted, but I didn't yank it back. He said, "I understand."

I said nothing else. I noticed that Damien's hand was soft, warm, and—.

( _Comforting._ )

"You should try the dessert." He suggested.

"Neither of us ordered dessert." I pointed out.

"No, but it's part of this restaurant's hospitality. Even if you just order coffee, they'll still give you the dessert. Ah, here it comes now."

As soon as the waiter had arrived at the table, Damien moved his hand away from mine. The waiter placed a single plate between us and left. On it were four strawberry halves, except they had no seeds and they looked glossy. Damien put one in his mouth and smiled. He nudged the plate towards me and said, "Try one."

I picked one up and ate it. I bit down and found that it was not a strawberry. The surface felt hard, like candy, and it also broke like it. At the same time, strawberry juice suddenly filled my mouth. I found myself chewing on the candy surface and swallowing it with the juice.

"These aren't strawberries." I said.

"No," Damien said, "they're blown sugar glass with strawberry juice inside of them. You're actually supposed to let them dissolve in your mouth."

I picked up another piece and looked at it with amazement. I said, "No way. Juice filled sugar glass? I've seen confectioners make sugar glass on TV, and it's not easy! This place must have five star chefs working here!"

He chuckled, "Magic works in many wondrous ways, even in cooking."

I wholeheartedly agreed with him. I couldn't help but think that Wally would love these. Another thought crossed my mind.

"With food this great," I said, "I'm afraid of what the bill would look like."

"I already told you that it was my treat." Damien reminded me.

That didn't stop him from hiding the actual price from me, though…

* * *

 **Next time, friendly duels.**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: I Have a Wizard's Duel…Sort Of

-November 11th, Monday-

Arriving at my Hall after class, I found that there were flyers taped to our doors. According to them, all freshmen are to go to the gym on Thursday for magic practice. Because of this, there will also be no class.

( _Magic practice? It can't be as simple as that if they're cancelling class._ )

Once more, when I got to my door, I could hear Wally reading his lines. I decided not to bother him this time. When I turned to leave, I had nearly bumped into Manuel.

"Oh!" He exclaimed.

"Sorry, sorry." I apologized.

Manuel's ears twitched and he said, "Wally's practicing again."

"Yeah."

"Are you going to see the play?"

"I'd like to, but I don't know when it is."

"Next Friday and Saturday; I asked him. I have treasurer business on Saturday, so I can only go on Friday."

"Treasurer business? Is it a meeting?"

"No, I'm helping to sell candles at the mall for a school fundraiser."

"Sounds tiring."

"Does it? I've never had to sell things before."

"Me neither, but I've seen Girl Scouts stand at malls and sell cookies for _hours_."

"Hours?! I don't know if I can sell candles for hours!"

"Calm down, Manuel. The other officers are going to help, right?"

"Yes."

"Then you'll be fine. Besides, you said the fundraiser is next week, right?"

"Yes."

"Then you have time to steel yourself for it."

The door opened and a bedsheet-clad Wally asked, "Are you going to keep talking outside or are you going to come in?"

"We just didn't want to bother you while you practiced." I said.

"Bother me? I'm more concerned about bothering you. If you two are just standing out here, then my practicing is obviously bothering you."

Manuel said, "No, it's—."

"It's okay, I can find another place to practice. I think the forest trail behind campus will do…"

Wally walked out of the room and down the hallway, dragging the tail of his bedsheet toga behind him.

"Wait!" Manuel called out to him.

"You're still in your bedsheets!" I shouted.

However, nothing we said would stop him from leaving.

* * *

-November 14th, Thursday-

All the freshmen gathered at the gym after breakfast. Professor Potsdam greeted us with a smile on her face.

"Good morning, my bright young things!" She said. "Today is a special occasion for all of you. You're going to pair up, practice what you've learned, and try out spells on each other. This isn't a test and you won't be graded, so there's no pressure!

"Now, remember that you are not battling each other. Think of it as a game of catch, one person casts and the other catches. That said, you are not allowed to cast spells that would affect other pairs, so no fireballs or ice storms. I'll be on standby if anyone gets hurt. Now, pair up and have fun!"

Everyone shuffled about and I could tell that friends were trying to pair up with each other. I looked around for Manuel and Norton, but I found that they had already paired up. I looked around, but all I found were other pairs.

( _Oh no, am I the odd one out? What am I going to do now?_ )

"It looks like we are the only two left unpaired." A voice said from behind me.

I turned around. Standing there was the white haired Snake that had tried to run for freshman president. I remembered that her name was Suki.

"Looks like it." I said. "Ladies first, I guess."

She giggled, "Don't mind if I do."

She suddenly glared into my eyes. The next thing I knew, I could see nothing. I blinked my eyes a few times, but everything was still dark.

( _Blindness. Great._ )

"Is this going to wear off soon?" I asked.

"It should wear off around…now."

As soon as she had said that last word, I could see again. It was my turn. I channeled magic to my palm until I could feel pressure press down on it. However, as I made the pushing motion, I found my movements had greatly slowed down. It was like I was trapped in slow motion. Suki smiled and took several steps to the right. When I finished my motion, my Push spell had hit nothing. The sluggishness disappeared.

"Are we allowed to use counters?" I asked.

Suki shrugged. "I just didn't want to be hit by whatever spell you were going to cast."

She held out her hand and a ball of light formed in her hand. She flicked her wrist and the light went sailing towards my direction. I ducked and the light didn't hit me. I channeled magic to the tips of my index and middle fingers. Sparks of electricity flew from it and I was about to cast my spell when the gym was suddenly filled with screams.

"Ooh! Pretty!" Suki said excitedly.

I looked around to see what was making everyone scream. My jaw dropped at what I saw. Hovering over one girl's head was fire that took on the shape of a dragon. The girl was ducking underneath it with her hands covering her head…and I saw that it was Mary. Before the fiery dragon could do anything, it quickly vanished into smoke.

Professor Potsdam ran forward and shouted, "Donald!"

I saw that her attention was on the same Wolf that sang at club signups. I saw that Mary was near him, so I guess they were partners. I heard Virginia's voice call out, "Ooh, you're in trouble now!"

"Mr. Danson," Professor Potsdam scolded, "while your flaming dragon was impressive, I did specifically say not to cast spells like that. If Mary hadn't ducked, she would have been seriously hurt! You're usually so careful, so why did you do that?"

"I knew what I was doing." Donald shrugged.

"You may have known what you were doing, but that was still a dangerous thing to do. I'm afraid I'll have to give you ten demerits and detention."

Donald said nothing, but he didn't seem upset. He shrugged again and left the gym. Professor Potsdam announced, "I suppose that will be enough. You are all dismissed."

( _That's it? That wasn't long at all._ )

"I had fun." Suki smiled.

"I just wished I could have used more spells." I said.

"Say, may I ask you something?"

I faced Suki and asked, "What?"

"You're roommates with that Toad in the hat, right?"

I glanced over at Norton and said, "Yeah. What about him?"

"I think he has some sort of fascination with me. He would not stop talking to me about his dreams about albatrosses while dressed in his bedsheets. I find him and his dreams interesting, but…" She turned her head away. "I could not bring myself to tell him. If you would, I would like you to give this to him."

She took out a folded piece of paper and handed it to me. I asked, "Why not give it to him yourself?"

"Because I have not dreamed of him. If I dream of him, then I know that the time is right to talk to him. I must go now; the cafeteria's salad is begging me to put it out of its misery."

She turned around and skipped off. I looked at the folded piece of paper in my hand, but I did not open it.

( _Weird girl. Then again, she_ is _a Snake._ _Wait, could she be Wally's mystery crush?_ )

I looked for Norton, but found that he was no longer in the gym. In fact, no one else was left in the gym. I was alone.

( _Hmm._ )

I pocketed the paper and extended my hand. I channeled magic into my hand and I felt it become hot. Little flames appeared at my fingertips and spread to my palm. Even though I felt the heat, the flames did not burn me. I turned my hand palm up and the flames shot straight into the air.

( _Okay, now Blue magic to change form…_ )

The fire swirled and bent to form a serpentine shape. Before it could sprout wings, the fire suddenly vanished into smoke. I felt exhausted and with a sigh, I lowered my hand. I was close to running out of energy, and I did not want to push myself.

"So much for making my own flaming dragon." I mumbled.

* * *

I handed Suki's piece of paper to Norton that night. He opened it up and read through it. His eyes widened and a smile spread across his face.

"She's interested in me." He said.

"So it's Suki you have a crush on?" I asked.

"Yes. Shy as a fox, just like me."

Manuel asked, "If you like her and she likes you, then are you…um…"

"Alas, no!" Norton sighed. "She writes that she will not be with me until she is sure, and she will be sure once she dreams of me."

"That doesn't sound right…"

"She writes that reality is but a dream within a dream, and the first dream is the closest thing to what fate has originally planned to be reality. As such, her dreaming of me will be a sign that we were meant to be."

"And you like her…why?" I couldn't help but ask.

"She has a mind that exists outside of normal society, just like mine. She looks for meaning in dreams, and I…" His face suddenly becomes glum and he finishes, "I have yet to find my real identity."

He climbed into bed and turned his back to us.

( _His…real identity? Just who is he?_ )

* * *

 **Next time, the school play.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: I Get into an Argument

-November 20th, Wednesday-

Today was Blue magic class with Mary and her friend as familiar classmates. I didn't know her friend's first name, but I know she was called "Middleton" by Professor Grabiner during that study session. Before the professor came in, I heard her and Mary talk to each other.

"You always take this class, Ellen." Mary said. "Don't you take other classes?"

"I do," she answered, "but this class is my favorite."

"Even if it's taught by Grabby?"

"Yes. I find the topic of transformation fascinating."

Before Mary could say anything else, Professor Grabiner entered the room. He said, "Before we begin today's class, I want to bring to your attention to possibilities and dangers of combining magic.

"You know that the different colors of the pentachromatic system each have their own powers and uses. Combining the energies and spells of the different colors can lead to the creation of new spells. However, usage of these new spells without proper caution can lead to disaster. Yes, Mr. Danson?"

I had not seen Donald earlier, since he was at the back of the room. He lowered his raised hand and said, "Sir, I've already learned my lesson in detention. Do you need to bring this up again?"

" _Yes_ , I do, Mr. Danson. I don't want to see any of your classmates attempt to pull stunts like you did last week."

In my head, I was whistling innocently.

"Now, some of these spells can be very powerful, but you will not be learning any of them until you reach your senior year. If you do decide to experiment on your own, remember that all consequences are no one else's but yours…"

* * *

-November 22nd, Friday-

The play was in five minutes, and last I've heard from Wally, he was not nervous at all. Everyone had to pay five dollars as an entry fee. Manuel and I went together to show support for our roommate.

The gym was crowded with metal folding chairs and people. There was a big painted backdrop of Ancient Greece on the stage. I wondered if everyone in the Drama Club took the time to paint it, or if it was just a well detailed illusion. Manuel and I found seats on the second row, just so that we could easily see Wally, and vice versa.

"Do you know the story of _Medea_?" Manuel asked me.

"I only know a little." I answered. "I know it's a tragedy and Medea wants revenge for something, but that's all I know."

"It is about a woman getting back at her unfaithful husband in the most horrible of ways." A familiar voice explained.

I turned my head and was surprised to see Damien sitting next to me. I asked, "When did you get here?"

"Just now." He said with a small smile.

"Um, Adrian?" Manuel asked. "Wasn't he your senior during Initiation?"

"He was, but we're friends now." I motioned towards my roommate. "Damien, this is my roommate and friend, Manuel. Manuel, this is Damien."

"H-hello." Manuel slightly turned his head to the side.

"A pleasure to meet you." Damien said.

Looking back at him, I said, "I didn't know you liked plays."

"I do, but I particularly like romantic tragedies."

"Romantic tragedies? Like _Romeo and Juliet_?"

"Actually, that's my favorite play." He chuckled.

( _He likes plays and he came to see a play about a woman getting revenge on her unfaithful husband. If this isn't irony, I don't know what it is._ )

"Truth be told," he went on, "I didn't think you were interested in the performing arts, Adrian."

"Not really," I admitted, "but my other roommate is in this play, and Manuel and I wanted to show him our support."

I noticed that the noise of the audience was starting to die down. The lights went out and a spotlight shone on stage. A Snake stepped into the spotlight and announced, "And now, the Iris Academy Drama Club is proud to present the Greek tragedy, _Medea_!"

There was applause as the girl stepped off the stage and positioned herself in front of it.

"What is she doing there?" I whispered.

"She's the chorus." Damien whispered back. "She will narrate as the play goes on."

"Oh."

More lights shone on stage and the play began.

Aside from Wally, the only student I recognized on stage was Raven, who played Medea herself. It amazed me how the actors were able to memorize their lines. Soon enough, Wally came on stage as Creon, and he was thankfully wearing a real toga instead of bedsheets. Based on his performance, it looked like he was really in character.

"What you say sounds comforting enough," he said to the kneeling Medea, "but I'm still afraid that heart of yours is planning something evil…" His gaze drifted to the audience and he suddenly glared towards my direction.

( _Is he glaring at_ me _, or…?_ )

I turned my head to look at Damien, who now had a frown on his face.

Wally faced Raven and continued, "At this point, I trust you even less than previously. Passionate people, women as well as men, are easier to protect oneself against than someone who keeps silent…"

It may have been just me, but Wally seemed to play an angrier Creon than he did when he practiced his lines…

* * *

Overall, the play was as tragic, and bloody, as a Greek tragedy could be. On the way out of the gym, the three of us talked about the play.

"I can't believe Medea would kill her own children." Manuel said.

"A woman's revenge can be a scary thing." Damien mused.

"Sounds like you speak from experience." I observed.

"I've never been the target of revenge, but I wouldn't be surprised if it happened eventually."

"Um, why?" Manuel asked.

"Adrian." A voice spoke from behind us.

We turned around and saw Wally, who was still dressed in his toga. He had a cold look in his eyes and he asked, "What are you doing with him?"

Hostility was in his voice. I asked, "You mean Damien? We were just sitting together."

"'Just sitting'? I don't think so. He was the senior who took you to the Glen, wasn't he? You…you aren't dating him, are you?"

"What?! No! We're just friends!"

Damien stepped forward and asked, "And why is it your business who Adrian sees?"

"Because he's my friend and roommate. I've heard the rumors, about how you break the hearts of anyone who goes out with you. I don't want that to happen to my friend."

"Like Adrian said, we're just friends."

"You may be 'just friends' now, but it never stays that way with you, does it?"

"Wally, stop it." I intervened.

Without warning, Wally shoved me away with both hands. He snapped, "How many times must I tell you: _I am not Wally_!"

I finally lost my temper. "Then who are you?!"

"This isn't about me; this is about you and Damien!"

"Guys." Manuel said meekly. "Please stop fighting."

"What is your deal with Damien anyways?!" I yelled.

"You know damn well what my deal with him is!" Wally snarled.

" _Enough_!" A voice shouted.

My stomach dropped when I recognized the voice. We all turned our heads to see Professor Grabiner glaring at us. We also noticed that several students had stopped to stare at us.

"Mr. Robertson, Mr. Ignatius," Professor Grabiner said in a low voice, "what reason do you have to disrupt the halls with your arguing?"

"Professor," Wally said, "I was just trying to save my friend from making a mistake."

"By yelling at him? You know there are better ways to talk things out than shouting at one another. Both of you will report to me in the study room tomorrow morning for detention."

"Detention?" I asked. "Sir—!"

"Another word and I will also issue demerits, Mr. Robertson."

I shut my mouth. With a flourish of his cape, Professor Grabiner left us. Wally and I glared at each other again.

"Now look what—!"

"You started—!"

"Guys, please!" Manuel pleaded. "That's enough. Don't fight anymore."

"Yes," Damien agreed, "things have already gotten out of hand as it was."

We both let out frustrated sighs and averted our glares from each other. Damien gave a quick "see you soon" and left the three of us. We returned to our room in silence, and Wally and I didn't look at each other for the rest of the night.

* * *

-November 23rd, Saturday-

Instead of assuming his Louis persona, Wally had donned on the straw hat and was Hattingway for today. I assumed this was because he was serving detention instead of going to the mall. We went to the study room after breakfast and found Professor Grabiner waiting for us.

"For today's detention," he said, "you are to each write a two page essay on ways to peacefully resolve a minor conflict, such as yesterday's argument. And to make sure you don't start another fight," he pointed at me, then Hattingway, with his index finger, "I will Silence you both until you finish the assignment."

I felt a light constriction around my throat. It didn't make it hurt to breathe, but I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to speak, as was the purpose of the Silence spell.

"I will leave you to your essays. Do not leave the room, not even for a break, until you finish. If you do leave before then, I _will_ know."

With that said, Professor Grabiner left the room. Wally and I took our seats and found paper and pencils on the table. We each took two sheets and pencils and started our work.

One page in, I wondered if the Silence spell was going to last as long as Grabiner had said. I experimentally tried to speak, but no sound came out. I just didn't get it; how come this spell is lasting for such a long time while the spells I cast last only for seconds?

I felt something bump against my hand. I saw that it was a torn bit of paper with writing on it. I slid it towards me and read what it said.

 _No use trying. We are under a geas. The spell won't go away until we finish this assignment._

I looked at Hattingway, but I saw that he had gone back to writing.

( _A geas? Wow. Professor Grabiner sure can cast powerful magic._ )

After finishing the assignment, the geas did indeed lift. The rest of the day was uneventful save for one thing: Manuel was absent. I knew he was doing the fundraiser at the mall, but I didn't know how long he was going to be out.

It turned out he didn't come back until 9:00 that night.

Hattingway had gone to bed while I stayed up to wait for Manuel. When he did return, he looked exhausted. He walked over to his bed and let himself fall on it.

"How did it go?" I asked.

"We sold many candles," Manuel said, "but today was a long day. Let me sleep in tomorrow."

"Sure."

Manuel closed his eyes and it looked like he fell asleep right then and there.

* * *

 **Next time, Thanksgiving Break.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Warning: this chapter contains content that may offend or distress certain readers.**

* * *

Chapter 17: I Go Home for Thanksgiving

-November 25th, Monday-

All freshmen were called to the gym that day for an announcement from Professor Potsdam.

"Good morning, my little buttercups!" She greeted us cheerfully, as usual. "As you may have noticed on your planners, you only have two days before Thanksgiving Break. For those of you who are staying here during the break, the cafeteria and the library will be open, and there will be a feast on Thursday. For those who need to leave for break earlier, please come see me after assembly.

"Now, for those of you who are wildseed, if you are leaving, then this will be your first time away from the comfort and protection of Iris Academy. You are witches and wizards, but those around you are not." Her expression became grim. "The Choice you made three years ago still stands. You must not reveal your secrets to anyone, nor will you display magic in front of anyone who is not one of us. Not your old friends, not your families, no one. If you betray our trust you will not be allowed to return, and we will miss you."

( _Just like in_ Harry Potter _…_ )

"Now, I'm sure you have a busy two days, so I will let you get on to your schedules!"

Everyone started to shuffle out of the gym. I looked at my roommates and asked, "Are you two doing anything special for Thanksgiving?"

"I be flyin' back to me home state of Maine." Jerry said.

"I'm going home to see my parents and sisters." Manuel said.

"My family's inviting everyone to my house; it's going to be chaotic."

"You have a big family, Adrian?"

"Yeah, and it doesn't help that we have a small house. It's going to be like that movie _Christmas Vacation_ , but without the comedy. At least most of them have hotel rooms…"

* * *

-November 26th, Tuesday-

After classes were done, we were once again called back to the gym by Professor Potsdam.

"If I may have your attention," she said, "I want everyone to hold hands and close their eyes. I would like to give a blessing before you leave."

It was a good thing I was standing between my roommates, otherwise I would have been reluctant to hold hands with strangers. I took their hands and closed my eyes. I was never one for the whole prayer deal, but I still did it out of respect.

"We give thanks to the parents who created us and the friends who helped us grow. To the Earth which nurtures us, and the Otherworlds that inspire us. For what we have been given, and for what we have to give. For those who have taken us in when we were in need. For forgiveness and the hope for renewal. May our tributes bring joy, and no call go unanswered this Thanksgiving season. So may it be."

"So may it be." Some students murmured.

"Now, have fun!"

Letting go of hands and opening our eyes, we once again left the gym. According to my planner, students will be picked up after the assembly. For wildseeds like me, we were supposed to meet either a parent or guardian outside of the forest trail leading to the school. I guessed the parents were notified ahead of time by the school, since I've never written to mine since I got here.

I went back to my room to pack some of my things. After giving my goodbyes to my roommates, I started my walk out of school. I noticed that a few more students were walking the trail with me, including Mary and Ellen. At the end of the trail, some cars were lined up on the road.

I found my parents' car and found that they were both present. They waved at me and I got in.

"Adrian!" My mother beamed. "How have you been?"

"Good." I said.

"You've never written to us, so we were worried that you were having a bad time at boarding school."

"Sorry about that."

"It's alright." Dad said. "We've got the next few days together."

"Yeah."

On the long drive home, they asked me loads of questions. How were classes? Were my teachers strict? Did I make any friends? Did I do anything fun? I had to carefully answer them without giving away any details involving the magical world.

There was something that bothered me, though. They saw my letter of acceptance, meaning that they _should_ know about magic. When I first showed it to them, they were a little dubious about it, but something, _something_ made them change their minds. Out of all the questions they were asking me now, they did not bring up the topic of magic.

( _This doesn't make sense._ )

* * *

-November, 28th, Thursday-

I had missed being home, at first, but now everything was chaotic, just like I thought it would be.

Aside from my parents, there were Grandmas Audrey and Theresa, Grandpas Douglas and Timothy, Uncles Tobias, Joshua, Ed, and Tommy, Aunts Louisa, Betty, and Ursula, Cousins Paul, Nick, Amy, Brittany, Tobias Jr., Lily, Ingrid, Xavier, Cody, Christian, Catherine, Layna, and Melissa, and Second Cousin Emily, and they were all in my house at once.

 _All_ in my house. At once.

I used every chance and excuse I could get to leave the house and walk my dog, who was just as stressed as I was. My dog, a Basset Hound named Droops, was old and while he liked attention, too much company and noise made him miserable.

On the fourth walk, my father accompanied me. He said, "Gets crowded in there, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." I said.

"It was getting to me too, to be honest. You know, with all the company over, we haven't really been able to talk since we picked you up from school."

"Yeah."

"Adrian, you seem a little distant lately. Is everything alright?"

I said nothing. I was not allowed to talk about magic, and I certainly couldn't say anything about Damien. Yes, we were friends, but I still couldn't help but be attracted to him, despite him being half-demon. Not only is he, well, handsome, but he's very sympathetic and understanding.

"You know," my dad went on, "if there's anything that's bothering you, you can tell me."

( _Last time you said that, I told you I was gay and you threatened to disown me…_ )

"I'm fine, dad."

"I love you, son."

"…You too, dad."

* * *

That night, several dinner tables were set up in the back yard so that we could all eat together. All the adults worked together to make enough food for everyone to eat. Dinner was loud and merry, and the only bother was the mosquitoes. It was nice talking to the cousins for a while, but the noise still got to me, and I was the first to finish and go back inside.

After another two hours of talking, everyone left to go back to their hotel rooms. All was quiet and spacious. I retired to my room to relax and watch videos of the Internet. It was _so_ nice to have Internet access after months without it. It was almost unbelievable how the emails stack up over time.

I went to get a drink when, on the way back, I heard talking coming from my parents' room. I normally didn't listen in, but a few words caused me to stop in my tracks.

"…Adrian…hiding…maybe…"

I crept close to the door and lowered my head so that my ear was next to the crack.

"What makes you think he's hiding something?" Mom asked.

"I know he hides things when he doesn't talk much." Dad said. "I think it has something to do with his school."

"His school? You don't think he's being bullied, do you?"

"No, he always tells us when he's being bullied. He's a good kid like that. What _I'm_ worried about is that he found someone to be gay with."

I stiffened up.

"Martin," Mom's voice became worried, "I don't want to hear this."

"Just think about it: he knows we'll disown him if he brings that up again, but what's stopping him from being gay with someone at school? I think I'll have a talk with him about it tomorrow."

"Wait. Martin, I've been doing some thinking. I don't want to disown our son."

"Eliza, neither of us wants a queer for a son. Didn't you say that one of your dreams was to have grandkids?"

"It is…was, but I think we should do something other than disown him."

"What do you suggest then?"

"I've done some looking around, and I think I've found an answer. There's a conversion therapy center a few towns away. I was thinking of taking Adrian there for the summer. They can heal him and we get to keep our son."

My stomach dropped.

( _No, they can't…_ )

"That actually sounds like a good idea, but don't tell him until he finishes the school year; I don't want the news to disrupt him from his work."

"I agree…"

I didn't want to hear anymore. I got up and went back to my room. I felt sick, _mortified_ at what I had heard.

( _No…no…no…they can't do this. They can't…they can't…_ )

I buried my head in my pillow and cried for a long time.

* * *

 **Next time, a hard choice.**

 **I am so glad that the games made by** _ **Hanako Games**_ **have no issues with gay relationships.**


	18. Chapter 18

**More angst ahead.**

* * *

Chapter 18: I Make a Tough Decision

-December 1st, Sunday-

I spent the rest of the break hiding my newfound depression from my family. Dad never talked to me about the possibility of seeing another guy, which was a good thing for me. When it was time for me to return, my parents' last good gestures to me were to not forget to pack winter clothes, and that they loved me very much.

Walking down the forest trail to the school, I was glad to be back at school. I wore a heavy coat over my Toad robes, which certainly helped me deal with the weather. I loved snow and Christmas vacation, but I hated the cold weather.

When I got back to my room, I found that Bob and Manuel were already there.

"Welcome back, Adrian." Manuel greeted.

"How was your break?" Bob asked.

I lowered my head and mumbled, "Not good."

"What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

I put my clothes up and sat on my bed. I was back at school now, but it would be summer before I knew it.

( _And when summer comes…_ )

I couldn't stop the tears from forming in my eyes. I excused myself and ran to the bathroom. I locked myself in the furthest stall and bawled. I can't go back home, and even though I had a few more years at Iris, I could not stay here forever.

( _What can I do? I can't…I can't…!_ )

"Adrian?" I heard Manuel's voice call out.

"G-gh…!" I couldn't speak in the state I was in.

I heard the bathroom door open and two sets of footsteps walked in. There was a knock on my stall and Manuel asked, "What's wrong, Adrian?"

I forced my distraught voice to say, "G-go away. I ca-can't…!"

"I'm Opening the door." Bob said.

I heard the lock slide open and the door swung open. I curled up on the floor and turned my head away, not wanting my friends to see my sorry state.

"Manuel, get Professor Potsdam." Bob ordered.

I heard footsteps run out of the bathroom. Bob placed a hand on my shoulder and said, "Come out of there."

I jerked away from the touch and shook my head. He pressed on, "Whatever's the matter, you can talk to us, just don't think of doing anything stupid."

"S-stupid?" I asked. "You think I'm suicidal?"

"With this much hysterics, yes."

"I'm not suicidal, Bob. I'm just…having a hard time with things at home…"

"What happened?"

"M-my parents, they…" I let out a few more sobs.

"Deep breaths, Adrian, deep breaths. In…out…in…"

I followed his directions until the hysterics went away. I felt tired and I wanted to fall asleep right now, even if it was on the bathroom floor. The door opened again and footsteps ran towards my direction.

"Adrian!" Professor Potsdam exclaimed. "Move aside, Wally—."

"Bob."

"Just move aside, _please_."

Bob stepped out of the stall and the professor took his place. She held her hand out and said, "Let's get you out of there."

I sniffled and took her hand. She helped me to my feet and led me out of the stall. She looked at Bob and Manuel and said, "Return to your room; I'll take care of Adrian."

I could tell that they were both hesitant to leave, but they did so anyways. As Professor Potsdam led me out of the bathroom, she said, "We'll go to my office and talk."

The walk from Toad Hall to the main school building wasn't long, but it felt like it. When we did arrive at her office, I couldn't help but stare at all that she had in it.

Flowers were the dominant theme of the office. There were flower vases, flower painting, and even flower designs on the walls and ceiling. The desk was well furnished and the chairs were pink and plush.

Professor Potsdam motioned to a chair in front of the desk and said, "Have a seat, I'll make some tea for us."

The next few minutes were spent in silence. I grabbed a nearby tissue box and took the time to clear out my nose. Nearby, I could hear the sounds of water pouring and clinking china. Eventually, a cup and saucer were handed to me. The steam drifted up my nose and the tea's peaceful smell helped to calm me down.

Professor Potsdam sat in front of her desk with her own cup and asked, "Now, tell me what's troubling you."

"P-professor," I started, "I'm gay. I don't have a problem with it, but my parents do. Over Thanksgiving, I heard them talking about sending me away, to 'heal' me. I…I don't want that."

"Have you talked to them about it?"

"I told them I was gay before, and they threatened to disown me if I brought it up again. They won't listen. They think the whole thing is wrong. I…I can't go back home."

I sniffled and the tears were threatening to come back.

"Drink some tea, dearie," Professor Potsdam said, "it'll help you."

I put the cup to my lips and sipped carefully. It kind of tasted like honey, but it seemed like I was also about to enter a Zen-like state. I said, "This is good. What kind of tea is this?"

"It's a special blend made with honey and herbs from the Otherworld." She answered with a small smile. "It's really helpful for soothing the mind."

I nodded in agreement. I then asked, "What am I going to do, Professor?"

"Hmm…" The smile vanished as she thought. "Do you have any other family members that can look after you?"

"I have a huge family, but everyone shares the same opinions. No one will take me in."

"I see. It always makes me sad when I see that a student's family won't accept them for who they are. You are not the first person that I've seen with this problem."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"There _is_ something I can arrange, but you will probably not like it."

"What is it?"

Professor Potsdam paused before saying, "It is possible to erase you from your family's memories."

"Erase?" My eyes widened. "You mean…everyone will forget about me?"

"It is an option all witches, wizards, and wildseeds have. For wildseeds, some of them can't stand keeping their magical lives secret from the ones they love, so they have the choice of either giving up their magic and memories, or erase all memories of them from their families' minds. For those born into magic, they can live normal lives, but at the cost of their magic and memories, including those of their families."

"It…it can't be as simple as that."

"It's not. There are special groups of magicians called Erasers that do this kind of work for a living. Not only do they have to find everyone and erase their memories, but also remove or alter personal belongings owned by the person they're forgetting. It's a process that can take some time."

"…I see." I looked down at my teacup.

( _Make my family forget me? I can stay who I am, but…_ )

"This is not a decision to be taken lightly, Adrian." Professor Potsdam said. "If you do decide to make your family forget, it will be irreversible."

I thought back to all the good times: the times when mom looked after me when I was sick, when dad taught me how to ride a bicycle, when we went on vacations during the summer, and all the Thanksgivings and Christmases that we spent with the extended family. I loved them, and even though my parents wanted to change me, I couldn't hate them. Should I give up my family for the sake of my future? Should I keep my family and risk having no future?

I asked, "If I make them forget, what will happen to me? Will I have to live on my own?"

After taking a sip of her tea, Professor Potsdam said, "Iris Academy will take care of you until you graduate. You may have to get a part time job somewhere during the summers, but you will have a place to stay, food to eat, and you will be able to continue your magical education."

( _There's no going back._ )

I took a deep breath and said, "Then, I want them to forget about me."

"Are you absolutely sure about this?"

"Yes."

Professor Potsdam set her teacup down. "Very well. I'll contact the Erasers tomorrow. At some point this week, one of them will come over to ask you questions regarding your possessions. I will let you know when that time comes."

I placed my cup and saucer on the desk in front of me and said, "Thank you."

"Are you fine walking back to your hall alone?"

"I am."

With mixed feelings, I left the office and made my way back. Obviously, both Manuel and Bob asked a lot of questions when I returned to the room. I sat down with them and explained everything.

"It's sad," Bob said, "but you wildseeds are lucky to have more options than natural born magicians."

"I-it's not right." Manuel said. "Your parents can't change or disown you, but you can't make them forget you either."

"Manuel, there are several families like that out there, and some of their children don't have happy endings. Personally, I think this is a better alternative than having him stay. I don't want to think about how he could have turned out otherwise."

"I don't want to think about it, either." I said.

"I wish I could _just_ make my parents forget about me, but that's not an option. It's either keep it all or lose it all for us wizards."

"Why do you want your parents to forget about you?" Manuel asked.

"It's not because I'm gay, if that's what you're thinking. They want 'Wally', which I cannot be. I want—ah, but today is not the day for divulging into my past."

"Maybe not." I sighed. "I already poured out my guts to you guys today."

"That is one reason, but I really think we should use this time to brush up on the spells we know, since there's an exam tomorrow."

"…"

"…"

"… _What?_ "

* * *

 **Next time, third exam and another argument.**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: I See Grabiner Get Yelled At

-December 2nd, Monday-

After knocking on the exam room door, I found myself at a four way intersection in the dungeons.

"The exit to this dungeon has been hidden." The usual voice spoke. "You cannot teleport out of the level. You must use your magic wisely to find your way before you run out of energy. You may choose to surrender at any time, and you will be retrieved from the dungeon safely. However, you will fail your exam and receive demerits. Good luck."

( _A hidden exit? How do I go about finding it, and which direction should I start with?_ )

I decided to go right. I figured that the hidden exit would most likely be behind one of the walls. I channeled a small bit of magic to my fingertips and ran them across one of the walls. Through the Inspection spell, I found that the wall was solid and sturdy. The good news was that the spell didn't use a lot of energy. The bad news was that I had no clue how big this place was, and it could be a labyrinth for all I know.

( _Maybe I could map the place._ )

I searched my pockets for anything I could use. Aside from pocket lint, the only thing I had on me was my wallet. Just for the heck of it, I looked through its contents. There was money, obviously, but there was also a little paper card with my parents' work and cell phone numbers written on them. I frowned. I obviously didn't need this anymore.

( _It's still paper, but I have nothing to draw with. Wait…_ )

I pressed my thumbnail into the paper and scratched it back and forth. It left a very faint impression. I smiled at this discovery. I made an impression of the four way intersection. I had no way of knowing which way was north, so I had no directional reference point. I just thanked what good luck I had and worked with it.

As I mapped out the place, I couldn't help but think back to the dungeon games I had played in the past that required mapping. Of course, I had the luxury of paper sheets and writing tools back then. Though making impressions with my thumbnail helped in a pinch, I had limited control over it. At one point I had tried to make a horizontal line, only to make a crooked diagonal by accident.

Several minutes later, I had the placed mapped out. The place was indeed a maze, but it was not the giant labyrinth I had imagined it to be. I was able to rule out which spots couldn't be the exit, since they were too close to other hallways. I decided to start the process of elimination off easy by Inspecting the dead ends.

Following my map, I went to the dead ends one by one. The first, second, and third ones turned out to be normal. The fourth, on the other hand, was different. When I ran my fingers over one wall to Inspect it, I found no indication that it was a wall. As soon as I had realized that the wall was fake, it vanished, revealing another hallway.

( _Yes!_ )

I ran down the hallway and found the stairs waiting for me at the very end. I found myself outside and I was congratulated by the awaiting Professor Potsdam. Feeling pretty good about myself, I went to the cafeteria to have lunch.

However, on the way there, I noticed that a small crowd of students had gathered. Curious as to what was going on, I went over to investigate. It looked like Professor Grabiner was getting yelled at by…

( _Ellen?_ )

"No, you listen to me!" Ellen shouted. "It's important!"

Professor Grabiner sighed and asked, "Would you be willing to accept detention in exchange for my listening to your little diatribe?"

"Yes!"

"I see. Carry on."

"You tell us that we're supposed to be creative, but you discourage creative solutions! You tell us that we're supposed to think our way out of challenges, but you don't teach us to think! All we've learned since we've been here is spells! No history, no literature, no guidance on what is and isn't accepted behavior, and then you punish us anyway!"

"For you information, Miss Middleton, history and literature will be covered in the sophomore and junior years and—."

"But that doesn't make sense! Shouldn't we learn history and such _first_? We need to know what we're doing before we actually do it! Look at Mary, for example! You tell us not to look at the spirits at the Dark Dance, but you didn't tell us _why_! Because of that, Mary became curious and she was hurt and punished for it! You tell us to experiment, but you don't tell us how to do it safely! You don't give us the tools to measure our progress and you make fun of science for doing what you can't! This is wrong!"

Everyone stared at her in awe. Some students started to whisper how either gutsy or stupid Ellen was for standing up to a professor. Some whispered that they had never thought of these things before. What impressed me, though, was that someone like Ellen, who seemed to be a good student at heart, would yell at _Grabiner_ , of all people.

Professor Grabiner, who seemed unaffected at what Ellen had said, asked, "Have you finished?"

She glared at him and said, "Yes."

"Very well. I will see you on Saturday for your detention, Miss Middleton."

He turned his back to her and walked away. Ellen raised her head and screamed her frustration. The crowd slowly dispersed. Among them, I saw Mary walk up to her friend and placed her hand on her shoulder. I walked up to them and asked, "What happened?"

"She passed the exam without using magic." Mary answered.

"Really? How?"

"I mapped out the area in my head," Ellen slowly explained, "and I used logic to figure out where the hidden wall was. I convinced myself that the wall was an illusion and I threw myself at it. It worked, but Grabiner didn't give me any merits or passing marks because I didn't use magic to pass the exam."

"I told her that I thought it wasn't right," Mary said, "and she went to confront Grabiner about it."

"No merits?" I asked. "No passing grade? Personally, I think you should get extra merits for using _only_ your wits in a magic environment to pass. I was able to map the place out, but I still had to use Inspection to check to see if the hidden exit was there."

"Thanks," Ellen said, "but it only makes me wonder more about the nature of magic. Did you notice that the illusion only disappeared once you got it into your head that it was an illusion?"

"Once I realized it, yeah."

"It makes me wonder many things, but…Aargh!" She kicked the ground. "I don't mind learning spells, but why can't we learn the basic fundamentals first?"

"We can't do anything about it." Mary lowered her head in resignation.

"No, we can't…not now, anyways."

Ellen walked away, leaving me and Mary behind.

"I have a bad feeling about this." I said.

"I just hope she doesn't do anything risky."

Mary left to catch up to Ellen. Like Mary, I wished that Ellen wouldn't do, well, not only something risky, but drastic as well. I thought back to everything that she had said to Grabiner. She had honestly made some good points, but at the same time, it seemed like the beginning of something really big.

* * *

-December 6th, Friday-

I spent the afternoon reading another library book in my room. This time, I had checked out _Otherworld Sentients_. Flipping through the table of contents, I saw that there was a chapter on half breeds. Thinking back to the day that Damien told me more about himself, I decided to look at that chapter first.

( _"There are myriads of half breeds that live in the Otherworld. Ey are the result of breeding between magicians and Otherworld creatures that bear human resemblance, like werewolves or demons. The half breeds that are born have mostly human appearances and ey have weaker versions of the abilities that eir Otherworld parent possesses. Ey have normal lifespans, but ey can only bear children with others"—._ )

"Woohoohoo!"

I jumped and looked to see where that holler had come from. I saw that Cartwright had entered the room, and he was obviously happy. I asked, "What's got you in a good mood?"

"Suki~!" He sang. "She said she dreamed of me over Thanksgiving Break, and she wants to spend time with me at the mall tomorrow!"

"Wow."

"I know! She said that I had appeared in her dreams as an angel flying towards the heavens. I was carrying a rod made of mistletoe in my hand and a salmon in my mouth."

"You had a…salmon in your mouth?"

"I don't know what it means, but I do know that I'm spending time with Suki tomorrow."

Cartwright hummed to himself as he sat on his bed. I was about to settle back down to read some more when Manuel entered the room. Cartwright stood up and sang, "Good news, Manuel~!"

"Huh?" Manuel blinked with surprise. "What is it?"

I returned to my reading and did my best to tune out my roommates. While I continued to read about half breeds, I came across a subsection labeled "Wulvers". Having heard that Manuel was a Wulver, yet not knowing what one was, I began to read.

( _"Wulvers are crosses between humans and werewolves. The first Wulvers originated from Scotland and were known as lone fishers that left humans alone. While Wulvers still retain eir wolf senses, ey cannot completely transform like werewolves can."_ )

I lowered my book to look at Manuel. I knew that he had the ears and tail of a wolf, but he never stuck out as a werewolf, or something similar, to me. It was probably because of his kind and gentle personality. I wanted to ask him what it was like being a Wulver, but I saw that he was busy talking to Cartwright.

( _Another time, then._ )

* * *

 **Next time, meetings and games.**

 **The Wulvers described in this fanfiction are mostly inspired by the Wulvers in Scottish myth.**

 **I also tried the "marking impressions on the back of a card with a fingernail" technique myself before writing it down, just to see if it would work.**


	20. Chapter 20

**So I've noticed that the chapters that get the most views are the ones that have Adrian interact with Damien. Yeah, I get it: you're here for the romance. By the way, romance isn't my strong suit, so let me know how I'm doing on that.**

* * *

Chapter 20: I Meet with an Eraser

-December 8th, Sunday-

After having a good day with Suki yesterday, Jerry left this morning to meet up with her. Because of this, Manuel and I had the room to ourselves, and we spent time playing _Magic_. Though we have played several games in the past, he still had questions about certain things, like creature abilities and the meaning of "X" in the casting cost. This time, he asked, "So, if my creature has Forestwalk, I can attack you directly as long as I have Forests in play?"

"No, it's as long as _I_ have Forests in play." I patiently corrected him.

"Oh. It's hard to remember what all of these abilities do."

"I understand. When I first started playing, I didn't know what Banding did. Of course, I later found out that _no one_ knew how Banding worked. Because of this, Banding was no longer—."

I was interrupted by a knock on the door. I scooted off my bed and answered it. It was Damien.

"Hello, Adrian." He said with a smile. "My roommate just bought a new set of flowerstones, and he gave me his old set." He held out a small wooden box with engravings of circles with flowers in them. "I was wondering if you wanted to play a game with me."

"Thanks," I said, "but I'm already in the middle of a game with Manuel."

"Oh? Which game?"

" _Magic: The Gathering_. Have you heard of it?"

"I've seen the cards for sale at certain stores, but I don't know what the game is or how to play."

"You can watch us play to get an idea, if it's alright with Manuel, that is."

"I don't mind." Manuel said.

"Wally's not here, so there shouldn't be a problem." I added.

"Well, if you both don't mind, then I would like to watch." Damien said.

I stepped aside and allowed Damien to enter our room. I sat back down on the bed and told Manuel, "It's still your turn."

"O-oh yeah." Manuel nodded. "Okay, I just played a creature with Forestwalk, but you don't have Forests, so I can't use its ability."

"Nope."

"Then, I guess I'll…"

The game lasted for a few more turns. I won the game by wiping out Manuel's remaining life with a Fireball. I looked at Damien and asked, "What do you think?"

"To be honest," Damien said, "I've never been into trading card games. I'm more of a board game player, myself."

"You could have told me that earlier when I invited you to watch."

"I didn't want to be rude to you. Oh, and so you know, I _rarely_ decline an invitation."

( _Adrian, don't you dare blush!_ )

"W-well, I don't have any board games; just card games and role playing games."

"The offer to play flowerstones still stands."

I looked at Manuel, then Damien, and asked, "Can we play together?"

"Sorry, but it's a two player game."

"Can we do it another time then?"

"That's fine. How does Friday afternoon at Falcon Hall sound?"

"I can do that."

"Good, it'll be a lucky day for us. I think I should go before your other roommate returns."

"G-good idea." Manuel spoke up. "I don't want to see another fight."

"I agree." I nodded.

"Then I will see you soon, Adrian." Damien said.

"Yeah, see you later."

Damien gave a small wave and left the room. I wondered out loud, "Why is Friday going to be a lucky day?"

"It's the thirteenth." Manuel answered.

"Another one? Wow. So, want to play again?"

"Actually, I think I'll take a walk."

"Can I tag along? I feel like I need to stretch my legs."

"I-I'd like—sure." A tiny smile formed on his face.

It may have been just me, but it seemed like he was acting shyer than normal.

* * *

-December 11th, Wednesday-

All the freshmen were called for Assembly at the gym that morning. Knowing the other Assemblies that we've had in the past, I figured that this one had to do with the Christmas holidays.

"Good morning, my sprites!" Professor Potsdam greeted us with her usual cheer. "As you know, the winter solstice is fast approaching. At the end of next week, many of you will be leaving us for the Christmas holiday. Before that, though, I want you all to form a line leading up to the stage, because…"

She held out a red bowl and continued, "We're going to be doing Secret Santa!"

( _Really? Secret Santa? Oh boy…_ )

"Each of you will draw a name from this bowl. You will have a chance to buy that person a present when you go to the mall this Saturday. You will give em that present next week. Come on up now, don't be shy!"

We all formed a line. When it was my turn to draw, I felt a tingling sensation in my head. Was this White magic at work? I then heard Professor Potsdam's voice in my head.

" _Meet me in my office after Assembly."_

I looked at the professor, who only smiled and said, "Go ahead and pick a name, Adrian. Don't keep everyone waiting."

I stuck my hand in the bowl and pulled out a folded piece of paper. I went to my usual corner and unfolded the paper. Written on it was the name "Wally Ignatius".

( _Wally? That'll be easy; I can buy him any pastry and he'll love it._ )

I heard someone groan next to me. I pocketed the paper and looked up to see who it was. Standing near me was Carlyle. I asked, "Something wrong?"

Carlyle let out a frustrated sigh and said, "I couldn't get out of this Secret…"

"Secret Santa?"

He cringed. "Do not say that name!"

"Huh? Why not?"

"Do you _really_ want to know?"

"I guess?"

He leaned close to me and said, "Well, when I was eight, on the night of Christmas Eve, I saw my mommy…"

He whispered the rest to me. My eyes widened and I backed away from him. I was both disgusted and appalled at what he had told me.

(What _?! How can he say that so casually?!_ )

"Too much information!" I exclaimed.

"You wanted to know," Carlyle said, "and now you know why I hate that guy. That is also why I'm staying here for Christmas."

"Right. I…I gotta go."

I ran out of the gym. Remembering Professor Potsdam's message, I went to her office. As she was still at Assembly, I waited next to her door. A few minutes later, I saw her walking down the hallway towards my direction. She invited me into her office and I took my seat.

"Adrian," she said as she took her seat, "I made contact with the local Erasers and—."

There was a knock on her door.

"Oh, that must be her. Come in!"

The door opened up and a woman in a dark blue suit stepped in. She wore rimless glasses and she had her red hair in a braid. She also carried a clipboard with some papers clipped to it. Professor Potsdam said, "Right on time, too."

"You know that I make it a point to be on time, Petunia." The woman said in a no-nonsense type of voice.

"Adrian, this is Phoebe Rensfield, one of the Erasers. She's here to ask you a few questions."

I stood up and shook hands with her. Looking at Ms. Rensfield, I couldn't help but be intimidated. Had I not known she was an Eraser, I would have mistaken her for a lawyer.

"Headmistress Potsdam has already asked you this," she said, "but I want to ask you the same question, now that you aren't in a state of distress: Are you sure you want to do this? This is your last chance to change your mind if you don't want to."

"My answer is the same." I said. "I can't change my parents' minds and I know that no one else in my family would take me in. I don't want to think about what will happen to me if I don't do this."

"Very well." She handed the clipboard to me and said, "Fill, sign, and date every last sheet."

I looked over the papers carefully. They were about what things I wanted to keep, as well as more legal matters, like if I had a personal bank account and which magical branch I wanted to relocate my money to. There was also the regard of listing the names of those outside of the family who knew me well, like my old friends. Then there was the matter of other existing documents that prove that I exist…

( _Aaaaaaah. My head hurts…_ )

It took some time and help from Ms. Rensfield and Professor Potsdam, but finally, it was done. I handed the clipboard back to Ms. Rensfield and said, "I'm done."

"It will take some time to get everything done." She said. "I will contact you once it's all over."

"Thank you for coming again, Phoebe." Professor Potsdam said.

"Thank you." I said.

"Just doing my work."

Ms. Rensfield gave a single nod and left the room. I felt relief knowing that I finished all that paperwork, and that no one would send me away. On the other hand, there was a heavy weight in my chest. Never again will I see my family, and never again will they remember me.

* * *

-December 13th, Friday-

It was lightly snowing when I went to Falcon Hall that afternoon. It did not take me long to find Damien, who was waiting for me with the wooden box in hand. He smiled and said, "Hello, Adrian. Are you ready to play?"

I removed my coat and said, "Yeah, but I don't know how to play."

"I'll teach you as we go. Would you like to play out here, or in my room?"

"Here's fine."

We both sat on the floor facing each other. Damien opened the box and I looked to see what was in it. There were six stones with flowers painted on them, gold and silver tokens that looked like treasure, and a gnome. He placed the stones between us while he left everything else in the box.

"This is a basic set that doesn't use buds." He explained. "It's simple: you gather the stones together…"

He scooped up the stones in his hands and shook them.

"…shake, and toss."

He tossed them like they were dice. All the stones showed no flowers. I guess these stones were like coins: flowers on one side and blank on the other.

"No points for me." He said. "Then it's your turn. If you get five or six of the same kind, then you win points and you get to throw again."

( _This reminds me of Yahtzee._ )

"So it's all luck based?" I asked.

"For us, it is. Masters play a different game, where the stones can stay in the air for a set time to be adjusted by magic before they fall, but you're not ready for that."

I scooped up the stones, shook them, and tossed them. Four flowers, two blanks.

"So, no points for me." I said.

"No." Damien took the stones and repeated the motion. Three flowers, three blanks.

"How long do we do this?"

"Twelve turns. Right now, it's turn four, and your move."

This went on for some time. I earned two points while Damien earned three. As we earned points, we got some of the treasure tokens from the box. When it was the last turn, I tossed the stones one more time. Six flowers, no blanks.

"Yahtzee!" I shouted with my arms in the air.

Realizing what I had said, I lowered my arms and said a small "oops". Damien laughed, not chuckled, but _laughed_. This was the first time I ever heard him laugh. He said, "Wrong game, Adrian."

I smiled and said, "You laughed. You actually laughed."

"I did. I don't think I've done that in a while."

"You need to do that more often."

"Well, if it will make you smile like that…"

Trying not to think of what he had just said, I looked down at the stones and said, "I got six flowers, so two points, bringing me to four."

"Right," Damien took out a gold piece from the box and handed it to me, "and since you have the most points at the end of the twelve rounds, you get the gnome."

He passed the gnome to me. I asked, "So, is that game?"

"The game's not over yet. Now comes the trickier part. We throw the stones again, but now when you win a hand, you take treasure from the pile you've won already and put it either in your vault or your bill. Treasure in the vault counts towards winning the game, but treasure on the bill means the other player has to lose twice that value when we make the final tally."

I gaped. "Vault? Bill? Why did this game suddenly become complicated, and what's with the gnome?"

"This is the _easy_ version." Damien gave an amused smile. "You'll get used to it with practice. Didn't it take you time to learn how to play your card game?"

"Yeah…"

"Anyways, if you have the gnome, then if you lose the final tally, you get to roll the stones three more times and steal away any treasure you win from the other player. The loser of the last round goes first, which would be me…"

We continued playing the game. I guess I had Friday to thank, since I won despite my difficulty understanding the rules. Damien asked me, "Want to play again?"

"Yes."

* * *

 **Next time, snow days and Secret Santa gifts.**

 **Phoebe Rensfield, of course, is another original character of mine.**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: I Have Fun in the Snow

-December 14th, Saturday-

Wally and I were just waking up when Manuel came back from his treasurer duties. He said, "Bad news: there was a blizzard early this morning, so mall trips are cancelled. We can't go shopping for Secret Santa."

Wally cringed, "Do not speak that name, Manuel!"

"Huh? How come?"

"You don't want to know." I said.

I looked out the window. It was a winter wonderland outside. The snow was several inches high, and it was still snowing. Already there were students dressed in their warm clothes and playing outside. Most were throwing snowballs either by hand or magic, but some were building snowmen. In fact, it looked like there were two students making snow animals with the help of Black magic.

I looked at my roommates and said, "Look on the bright side: we have a snow day!"

I went ahead and dressed myself in my robes and winter clothes. Wally also got dressed, but I noticed that Manuel was getting back into bed. I asked, "You're not coming outside?"

"Maybe later." He said. "I just want to stay warm for now."

With that said, he crawled under the blankets. I shrugged and left the room. When I stepped outside of Toad Hall, my face was struck by a cold wind. I rewrapped my scarf so that it covered half of my face.

"Very frigid out there." I heard Wally say.

I turned to face him and saw that he was wearing the moose head. I said, "Gee, thanks for telling me, Captain Obvious."

"I'm Meese."

"It was a joke, Meese."

"Excuse us, but you're blocking the way out." A new voice said.

Standing behind Meese was Big Steve. He was also dressed warmly, but he didn't have anything covering his head. For some reason, he was also carrying a stuffed pink rabbit. Meese and I moved out of his way.

"Thank you." Big Steve said. After he walked past us, he said, "I know you're impatient to see the silly girl. Alright, I'll hurry." He broke into a run.

( _Who was he talking to?_ )

Most of the day was spent looking around to see who was doing what. Most of the Wolves and Horses were doing snowball fights, some Butterflies and Snakes were making snow angels, and then there were the few students who made snowmen and snow sculptures.

I also saw several familiar faces. Virginia and Donald were in a heated snowball fight with the other Horses and Wolves. Meese, Suki, and Corrina were working together to make a snow dragon. Mary was chasing Big Steve, though I couldn't tell if they were doing it for fun or not.

I was about to make a snowman when an idea struck my head. What if I could make the biggest snowball ever? I had tried to do it in the past, but the ball always got too big for me to keep pushing. With the Push spell, though…

I got to work immediately. When I had reached my physical limit, I Pushed the snowball around with magic. It gradually got bigger and bigger, until it was up to my chest. I tried to Push it some more, but I found that I had depleted my energy.

( _Dang it._ )

I needed help if I wanted this snowball to reach record breaking size. Meese was still helping Suki and Corrina, but as far I know, Manuel was still inside. I went back to Toad Hall and my room.

The lump underneath the covers told me that Manuel was still there. I asked, "Manuel?"

The covers shifted and a head poked out.

"Aaah!" I jumped back.

Instead of Manuel's head, there was a wolf head. The head shook and it morphed into a familiar semi-human head. Manuel looked at me and said, "I'm sorry, I just got so cold that I…well…"

I let out a short laugh, relieved that it was only Manuel and not a real wolf. I remembered what I had read a week ago and said, "I know you said you were a Wulver, but I didn't think you would actually…"

Manuel threw the covers off of him and said, "I don't shapeshift that often, but I did it that time since I was alone and cold. I-I mean, even among other magicians, I can't go out looking like…that."

"Do they not like Wulvers?"

"No, it's not that. Our real forms, well, they make everyone uncomfortable. You…know what werewolves look like, right?"

"I've seen them in books and on TV, but I've never seen a real one before."

"Well, Wulvers are less than that, even if they are half werewolf. We get extra fur, claws, and a wolf head, but that's it. Our limbs don't change and we don't get extra strength. Oh, and we don't become feral monsters."

"That's…good to hear."

Manuel rubbed his nose and said, "It's cold again."

"I don't suppose you want to go out, then." I said.

"Maybe for a little bit."

As Manuel got into his warm clothes, I told him how I was trying to make a giant snowball, but I needed help. He agreed to give the snowball a few Pushes, but he really just wanted to walk around. We went outside and saw that the snowball was not where I had left it. It didn't go far, though, and we saw why it had moved.

Mary and Donald were Pushing it around.

"Hey!" I called out. "What are you doing with my snowball?"

"Helping you out, of course!" Donald called back. "You're trying to make it as big as you can, right?"

"Yeah, but I ran out of energy."

"And that's another reason we're helping out: you were going to run out of energy anyways."

"That's why I brought Manuel, but I didn't think you guys—."

"Why not?" Mary asked. "I've never made a giant snowball before."

"Yeah, so let us help out." Donald said.

I smiled. "Thanks you, guys."

So we got to work on the snowball. We started by pushing it by force together, then when we couldn't push it any further, we resorted to magic. The snowball eventually got as big as me, and even then we didn't stop. As we pushed the ball, other students stopped what they were doing to stare.

"Hey, Mary, Donald!" Virginia shouted. "What are you going to do with that big snowball?"

"We're going to set a record!" I shouted back.

"And then what, throw it?"

"Does it _look_ like we can throw it, Urchin?" Donald asked.

Mary stopped Pushing the snowball and leaned against it. She said, "That's it; I'm out."

Manuel also stopped. "Me too."

"One more push…and I'm also out." Donald said.

We marveled at what we had accomplished. It was certainly taller than any of us, but I had no idea how many feet tall it was. I said, "That looks like a record breaker to me…now what?"

"Huh?" Mary looked at me. "You mean you wanted to make this without knowing what to do with it?"

"I wanted to make it to set a record, but now I don't know what to do with it."

"What _is_ the record, anyways?"

"I have no clue."

Donald rubbed his chin and suggested, "Why not freeze it? This can be our memorial…for as long as winter lasts, anyways."

"Maybe we could hollow it out and make an igloo." Mary suggested.

"That's going to take a lot of work and magic we don't have." Manuel pointed out.

"True," I said, "and I'm pretty beat."

"Um…I want to go back in and warm up."

"I'm with you there, Manuel." I looked at Mary and Donald and told them, "Thanks for helping out."

"No problem." Donald said with a grin.

"It was fun." Mary said.

I looked around. Now that I thought about it, I had not seen Damien all day. I wonder if he had decided to stay in today. I told Manuel that I had something to do real quick and went to Falcon Hall. I at least wanted to show him the snowball.

I had expected to ask someone where his room was, but I found him standing in front of one of the windows in the hall. I approached him and said, "Hey there."

He jumped a little, but he regained his usual composure when he saw that it was me. He said, "I didn't expect you to come find me, Adrian."

"Why not?"

"I figured you would be playing outside with your friends."

"I was, but I got tired. We built this giant snowball and I want you to come see it."

"Oh? I don't like being out in the cold, but I can go ahead and look. Wait here and I'll get my coat."

He walked towards a nearby staircase and ascended it. I looked out the window he was facing earlier. The snow was still falling and it didn't look like it was going to slow down any time soon. I heard footsteps and turned my head towards the staircase. Damien had quickly returned wearing a dark blue coat. I could tell it was a specially designed coat, since his wings were still visible.

We both walked outside and I stopped in my tracks.

In place of the giant snowball was a giant sculpture of a bunny head. It eerily resembled the bunny that Big Steve was carrying around earlier…

"That's pretty cute." Damien smiled.

"N-no!" I said. "Someone carved my giant snowball into a bunny head!"

Damien walked up to the sculpture and examined it closely. He said, "Whoever did this also froze it so that it would last. I could shape it back into a ball, but it would be smaller than it was originally."

I sighed, "Thanks, but it wouldn't be worth it."

"Then maybe we could make another one together?"

"We could, but I don't have enough magic to Push it once it gets big."

"Leave that part to me."

"Well…alright, let's do this."

So we got to work on making another giant snowball. I had not only used up my magic, but most of my strength as well. However, once Damien started Pushing it, I could see that he had a lot more energy than any of the freshmen that made the previous one. In the end, the snowball was almost as big as its predecessor, but I was still happy seeing it.

I grinned at Damien and told him, "You were great."

"We both did this." He reminded me.

"Thanks for helping me out."

He smiled. "That is what friends are for, right?"

* * *

-December 16th, Monday-

"Hail, choir of angels!" Professor Potsdam announced.

We were once again called to Assembly, no doubt to talk about Secret Santa.

"I know you were all disappointed that last weekend's weather prevented the usual shopping trips. As such, I've decided on a little change to this year's Secret Santa event. Something to showcase the triumph of goodwill and imagination over money; something I know you can all place your heart and soul in. We're going to make Christmas cards!"

( _What is this, elementary school?_ )

"Behind me are boxes filled with old magazines, construction paper, glue, glitter, and scissors. Of course, they won't match the quality of store bought items, but it's the thought that counts. To help encourage the giving, festive mood, classes will be cancelled! In addition, I've ordered us pizzas for lunch!"

All the freshmen cheered, including me. I mean, pizza and no class? Count me in! Everyone went onto the stage and crowded around the boxes. Over the commotion, I could hear Professor Potsdam reminding us to share the materials.

I didn't really have to think what kind of card I would make for Wally. When I got a chance to get a magazine, I grabbed the first one that had a picture of a dessert on it. I also got white construction paper, glue, and scissors. I wasn't one for glitter, so I avoided it.

I went to my usual corner and started flipping through the magazine. I worked at cutting out every dessert picture I could find. I folded the construction paper and glued the pictures on every available space.

( _Wally's gonna love this._ )

* * *

After lunch, we were told to pass out our Secret Santa cards. It was easy spotting Wally among the crowd of students, since he was wearing his sailor hat. I approached him and said, "Card for you, Jerry."

He took the card and looked at all the pictures. He said, "Ye really know what I like, Adrian. Thank ye."

"Adrian?" I heard a nearby voice ask.

I turned around and saw Manuel. He handed me a card and said, "I'm your Secret…" He glanced at Jerry. "…You-know-what."

I looked at the pictures that were glued onto the card. They were all pictures of mythical monsters. Judging by the art, they looked like they came from a video game magazine. I said, "These are cool. Thanks, Manuel."

"Tis strange how the drawings turned out." Jerry said. "I just so happen to have a card for Manuel."

He handed a card to Manuel. It had pictures of animals on it. He said, "Sorry, I had no idea what ye liked."

"Um…it's okay, Jerry." Manuel gave a kind smile. "Professor Potsdam said that it's the thought that counts."

Now that Jerry said it, I had to wonder if Professor Potsdam had somehow rigged the Secret Santa drawings. If so, then why? This was one question that I never got an answer to.

* * *

 **Next time, present shopping.**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: I Go Shopping for Presents

-December 18th, Wednesday-

Today was Red magic class, with Virginia and Norton as my classmates. Professor Grabiner entered the room and started class with a small lecture.

"As you know," he started, "the magical community is usually peaceful. However, there are always dangers out there. If you find yourself cornered and have no other way out, Red magic is a good self-defense. Now, keep in mind that this is _only_ a last resort. We don't want to encourage violence."

I raised my hand and said, "You say you don't want to encourage violence, but isn't Red magic violent in itself?"

"And what makes you think that, Mr. Robertson?"

"Look at all the spells that fall under the category of Red magic: fire, ice, lightning—."

"Just because Red magic makes use of destructive forces doesn't mean that they can be used for violent means. You can cast Flames to light a campfire and cook your food, or summon a Breeze to cool you off if you're hot. Do you remember what I had said on the first day of class?"

"…No sir."

"It's tempting to use Red magic to destroy all that oppose you, but falling under that line of thinking has gotten many a magician killed."

"Then why teach Red magic at all?"

Grabiner's eyebrows furrowed. "Because teaching Red magic for usage of self-defense is better than not teaching any self-defense at all. While it's true that we would prefer you use nonviolent methods, if conflict is unavoidable, then we will allow the use of Red magic. Now, is there anything else you want to ask, Mr. Robertson, or shall I continue the class?"

( _Yes, but I don't want you to be angry at me. Maybe Ellen has a point about the whole "teaching us not to think" deal._ )

"I'm done, sir."

* * *

-December 20th, Friday-

Today was the last day of school before the Christmas holidays. Because of this, we were called to yet another Assembly.

"Good day, everyone!" Professor Potsdam greeted us with a small smile. "The tradition of Christmas is one of giving and sharing. Most of you who are returning to your homes will exchange gifts and spending time with friends and family, but while you're gone, don't forget who you are. Do not forget what you share with your brothers and sisters in magic."

I lowered my head. This would be the first Christmas that I would spend without my family. I suddenly felt a familiar tingle sweep over me: White magic.

"Think of those whom you care about, those who matter to you. If the people you think about are thinking about you as well, then you can feel that connection, and the affection that is shared. This is my gift to all of you. I will give you a few minutes to think and reflect."

( _Those I care about…_ )

I thought of my parents, whom I will never see again. The decision to make them forget was a tough one, but there was no going back. Did the Erasers already make them forget about me? Did Professor Potsdam's spell extend outside of the gym?

Whichever the reason, I didn't feel any connection.

I thought of Damien, who made me happy. He was a fun guy and we enjoyed each other's company, despite what others might think. Sure, he may embarrass me at times, but…

( _Huh?_ )

I felt nothing. I now feel sure that Professor Potsdam's spell only affected those in the gym, because there were only freshmen present. If Damien was present, I am sure he would be thinking of me. Trying not to let that bother me too much, I thought of someone else.

I thought of Wally, my eccentric, but entertaining roommate. I would most likely never understand him completely, but that was alright. I am just happy to have him as both a roommate and a friend.

I felt something briefly brush against my mind. Was Wally also thinking of me? It didn't feel like a connection like Professor Potsdam said it would be, but it was something.

Finally, I thought of Manuel, the Wulver who was never short on kindness. We were always supporting each other, whether it was student elections or bad days. He was the very picture of a good friend.

A warm sensation filled my mind and heart. There was a connection there, like two warm hands holding on to each other. Unlike the brief feeling with Wally, this feeling was strong and lingered for a couple of seconds.

I felt the magic fade away. I lifted my head up and saw Professor Potsdam beaming at us. She said, "I will see you all in two weeks, and I wish you a Merry Christmas!"

* * *

-December 21st, Saturday-

Like he said a week ago, Louis was staying at Iris for the Christmas holidays. Manuel had left to spend the holidays with his family. As I had nowhere else to go, I had no choice but to stay at Iris. Despite the two week break, I knew there wasn't much to do.

That morning, instead of allowances and mail, we found a note in our room. I assumed it was a teacher or another student that slipped it under our door. Reading it, we found that there will still be mall trips. I thought that this would be a good time to get gifts for my friends.

"Adrian." Louis spoke up.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"I would like you to accompany me to the mall."

This was going to make it hard to get him a gift, but I said, "Sure."

"Thank you. I really want to enjoy the Christmas specials at the bakery, but since it's Christmas time, a bodyguard is necessary."

"Bodyguard? What do you need protection from?"

"Not me, the mall…the mall…"

"The mall Santa?"

" _Yes_. I need you to bodyguard him by keeping me from seeing him. Should you fail…" He whispered the rest to me. What he said appalled me.

"You can't do that to Santa!" I exclaimed. "You'll get arrested, expelled, jailed…and did you _have_ to phrase it like that? Can't you just skip the mall trips until Christmas is over?"

"No, I need my desserts." Louis insisted. "Besides, none of that will happen if you do your job right."

"Louis…have you ever attacked a mall Santa before?"

"I did when I was nine. My parents had to pull me off his lap before I could rip his beard off. You heard what I can do, so will you keep me away from that horrid man, for the sake of the world?"

( _"For the sake of the world"? You're being too dramatic._ )

I wound up accompanying Louis to the mall. As the unofficial "bodyguard" of the mall Santa, I had to supervise my roommate wherever we went. Fortunately, he only wanted to stop at the bakery.

While Louis enjoyed gingerbread cookies and eggnog, an idea for a present struck my mind. I walked up to the cashier and asked for a ten dollar gift card. After the purchase was made, I quickly pocketed the card and, so I wouldn't make Louis suspicious, I ordered a gingerbread cookie as well.

During the time when Louis and I ate our cookies, I thought about what else to get. In Manuel's case, I thought of letting him keep the cards he borrowed from me to make his _Magic_ deck. That only left Damien on my list.

( _He said he liked board games, but what if I get him something he already has?_ )

It was the only lead I had. I looked at Louis and thought about how he would react if I specifically told him that I wanted to go buy a present for Damien. Mad, most likely. A thought crossed my mind.

"Do you plan on getting Suki anything for Christmas?" I asked.

"Suki!" Louis exclaimed. "I almost forgot! Adrian, what do you think she'll like?"

"I have no clue. Maybe we should look around?"

"Yes, let's start with Gilwise's."

So we started to make our way to the magic store. On the way, we heard a familiar "Ho ho ho!" coming from the center of the mall. I saw that Louis scowling and clenching his fists. I said to him, "Ignore it. You're here to get a present for Suki, not beat the crap out of…you know who."

"Suki…Suki…" Louis muttered.

He kept repeating the name until we reached Gilwise's Magic Emporium. Louis started looking through knick-knacks and figurines while I looked through games. I spotted sets of Flowerstones that were expensive, as well as other games that I had never seen before.

( _"Crickets", "Trials of the Demigods", "Don't Wake the Dragon", "Scryrunes"… "Otherworld Monopoly"?_ _What can I get for Damien?_ )

I looked over each board game. "Crickets" involved jumping game pieces that you had to catch. "Trial of the Demigods" looked to be a roleplaying board game. "Don't Wake the Dragon" looked like a game geared towards small children and involved dice throwing. "Scryrunes" looked to be a cross between dominoes and mahjong and "Otherworld Monopoly", well, was basically "Monopoly". As much as I wanted to try out "Trial of the Demigods", I had to remind myself that I was shopping for Damien, not myself.

( _I'm pretty sure he's played "Monopoly" before, the Dragon game looks too kiddy, "Scryrunes"…I don't even get how it works. Well, "Crickets" is cheap, so…_ )

The game looked simple and it was only fifteen dollars, so I decided to get that. I went up to the counter and saw Louis attempting to barter with the clerk.

"Twenty dollars." Louis said.

"For the last time, kid," the clerk warned, "I don't barter."

"But thirty dollars is too much for a painting!"

"It's a _moving_ painting, and it isn't supposed to be cheap."

"It's a Christmas present! Can't you show some mercy, you Scrooge?"

"I don't make exceptions."

"You horrid—!"

"Louis." I hissed at him.

He slammed his money on the counter and snarled, "Fine, take it."

The clerk took the money and handed a rectangle wrapped in brown paper to Louis. I went ahead and bought "Crickets" without any trouble. I followed Louis out and asked, "You got a moving painting for Suki?"

"I did." Louis answered. "Suki loves monsters, although she doesn't acknowledge them as such, so I got her a moving painting of a Manticore."

"Whoa, really? Can I see?"

"When we get back to school; can't risk a normal human peeking at a moving painting."

"Got it."

"So, what did you get for who?"

"Take a guess."

Louis narrowed his eyes and asked, "It's for _him_ , isn't it?"

"It is, and I got him a board game."

He sighed and said, "Just don't ask him to play in our room, alright?"

I had a feeling he didn't want to start another argument, and neither did I, so I answered, "Fine."

* * *

 **Next time, Christmas and New Year's Eve.**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: I Celebrate the Winter Holidays

-December 24th, Tuesday-

Not a lot had happened over the past few days. The professors had set up a tall Christmas tree in the center of the courtyard, complete with decorations. It was quite pretty to look at at night, when the lights would shine in the falling snow. Some students, including myself, would play in the snow to pass the time. I had tried my hand at making a detailed snow sculpture of a human head, but it wound up looking like a mess.

Tonight was the night of Christmas Eve, and I found Siegfried pacing in front of his bed. I asked, "What's bothering you?"

"Robertson," he said, "it's Christmas Eve and I'm trying to figure out how to protect our room from the enemy."

"Enemy? You don't mean—?"

"Yes I do, Robertson. I'm thinking of moving my bed away from the window so I can place the bookshelf to cover it. For the door, I'll prop Manuel's bed against it. The air vent will be trickier to cover, but I think—."

"Siegfried, you know that he doesn't really exist, right?"

Siegfried stopped pacing and stared at me in the eye. "Robertson, we live in a world of magic. Here, that guy's existence is just as probable as Bigfoot's."

"Bigfoot doesn't exist either."

"But traces of Bigfoot's existence are real, as are traces of that guy's: bootprints in the snow, children getting presents that their families couldn't afford, things like that."

"Wait, wasn't the Sa— the guy you saw with your mom just your dad in costume?"

"It could have been dad, it could have been the real deal, either way, my childhood was ruined by him. Now, can you think of anything that can help keep the fat man out?"

"Well, do you know if he can use magic?"

"He travels around the world in a single night. How could he _not_?"

"Then what's keeping him from just Teleporting into the room? In fact, he can just Teleport presents into the room."

"Teleportation…damn." Siegfried went back to pacing. "I just might have to stay up and wait for something to happen. If he comes in, I'll get him here and then. If he just Teleports presents, I'll…damn."

"Siegfried, aren't you taking this thing a little too far?"

"Robertson, the world is a battlefield, and it never hurts to take things too far."

( _I don't know about that…_ )

* * *

-December 25th, Wednesday-

When I woke up on Christmas morning, I saw that Siegfried was sitting cross-legged on his bed. He kept moving his head back and forth to look out the window and the center of the room. His head would occasionally droop, but he was quick to snap it back up.

"Did you seriously stay up all night?" I asked.

"Robertson, I have to…" His words turned into incomprehensible mumbles.

"It's Christmas morning; you don't have to stay up any longer."

There was a knock on the door. Siegfried sprang out of bed and, letting out a battle cry, he ran at the door. He swung the door open and lunged forward at whoever had knocked. There were grunts and the sounds of two bodies hitting the floor. I ran to the door and pulled Siegfried off of the one he had tackled.

It turned out to be Damien. He was picking himself up from the floor, all while rubbing his head. I looked at my roommate and asked, "Why did you do that?!"

"I thought it was the fat man knocking." He grumbled.

I pulled him back into the room with some difficulty. I scolded, "You're tired, Siegfried; get some sleep."

He shoved me off of him. "No way, Robertson. It may not be the fat man, but that demon at our door is still a threat."

"A _threat_!? Damien's my friend!"

"And I'm not?"

"Of course you are!" I sighed and shook my head.

( _Calm down, Adrian. It's Christmas; no reason to get angry._ )

I walked over to my personal drawer and fished out the gift card. I handed it to Siegfried and said, "Here, I even got you a present. Merry Christmas."

He took it and examined it closely. The anger left his face and he said, "You _do_ care, Adrian."

"While I'm at it…" I also got out "Crickets" and called out, "Damien!"

Eyeing Siegfried, he poked his head through the door and said, "Yes?"

"I know it's not wrapped, but here." I handed the board game to him. "Merry Christmas."

"'Crickets'?" He gave a warm smile. "I remember playing this during my freshman year. Thank you, Adrian." He took a step forward. "I know you don't like touch, but—."

A sudden "thwump" interrupted him. I turned around and saw Siegfried sprawled on top of his bed. I went to check on him and saw that he was asleep, the gift card still clutched in his hand.

"He's out." I reported. "He stayed up all night hoping to catch Santa Claus."

"Really?" Damien asked. "I didn't know he still believed in Santa."

"Not only does he still believe, but he hates him with a passion."

"Oh? Why does he hate him so much?"

"Believe me, you don't want to know." I faced Damien and asked, "What were you going to say earlier?"

"Yes, that. I know you don't like touch, but I wanted to thank you with a hug."

My eyes widened. "A…hug?"

"Do you mind?"

"I…no…"

Damien walked up to me and carefully wrapped his arms around me.

( _Close! Close!_ )

Resisting the urge to push him away, I forced my arms to move and hugged him back. The hug itself…wasn't that bad, actually, and only lasted for three seconds before we both pulled away. I turned my head away, feeling a little flustered.

"I also got you something." Damien said.

I looked back at him and saw him pull out something from his pocket. It looked like a spiral seashell, but it was completely black. I carefully took it and felt over its surface with my thumb. I said, "It's stone."

"Yes, it is." Damien said. "I actually made that myself."

"Made it? With Black magic?"

He nodded.

"It's even hollowed out!"

"That part was a bit tricky to do."

"Thank you, Damien."

Damien looked down at his gift and asked, "Want to play a game before breakfast?"

"Sure."

"'Crickets' requires some open space to play, so let's go out to the hall."

We left the room and picked a spot in the hallway to play. As Damien opened the box and set the board up, he explained, "This is a game of memory, luck, and reflexes. All you have to do is get your piece to the other end of the board to win."

I looked at the board. It was a simple 6x10 grid with the two short ends labeled "start" and "finish". The only design on the board was a small black spiral on the bottom right corner on the "start" end. The game pieces were six little crickets of different colors. Damien picked up the red one and I picked out the green one.

"We place our pieces here." Damien said as he placed our crickets on "start". He pressed the black spiral with his index finger and explained, "Casting Trigger causes the board to set a new layout, and the game begins."

"It doesn't look like the board's changed." I observed.

"That's because you can't see it. Now, we take turns moving our pieces one square at a time. I'll go first."

Damien moved his cricket to the square second to the right. He nodded to me, signaling that it was my turn. I had honestly expected something to happen, but when nothing did, I moved my piece to the far left square.

"Okay," I said, "what's the catch to this game?"

"Some squares have a unique effect to them," Damien explained, "but since you can't tell them apart from normal squares, you'll have to memorize which ones are safe and which ones are not." He moved his piece up one square.

I moved my piece forward and asked, "What effe—?"

Without warning, my cricket jumped off the square and started bouncing all around the board.

Damien gave an amused smile and said, " _That_ effect. You're going to have to catch it now."

"And if I can't?"

"Then I'll help you catch it."

I lunged my arm forward in an attempt to catch the cricket, but it had changed directions and I missed. I tried again: miss. I said, "Yeah, I think I need your help with this."

We both tried to catch the cricket at once, but our hands wound up colliding. We tried again and Damien managed to get it that time. He handed the cricket back to me and said, "Unfortunately, because you landed on an active square, your piece has to go back to start."

"Huh," I said as I placed my cricket back, "so I have to remember which squares are active and which are safe."

"Exactly. Oh, and so you know, you can move your piece forwards, sideways, and diagonally, but you can't move it backwards."

To demonstrate, he moved his cricket to the left. As soon as it touched the square's surface, it started jumping around. I shrugged and said, "Here we go again."

* * *

-December 31st, Monday-

As Wally and I were getting dressed that morning, there was a knock on our door.

"I swear," Wally grumbled, "if it's that demon, I'm booby trapping the door."

I went to answer the door. Instead of Damien, it was Professor Potsdam who stood in front of it.

"Good morning, Adrian." She greeted. She moved her head and saw Wally in the room. "And good morning to you too, Mr. Ignatius."

"No need to call me that, Professor." Wally said as he donned on the moose head. "Today, I am Meese."

"Yes, of course…" She turned her attention to me and said, "I would like a word with you in private."

Now I was worried. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I just want to give you some news."

We both stepped out into the hall. Professor Potsdam said in a low voice, "I have received word from Ms. Rensfield: the Erasers have finished their work last night. Your things will be delivered here in a few days."

"…I see."

I lowered my head. It was done; I can never go back. I was safe here now, but at the cost of the ones that love… _loved_ me. I felt a hand rest on my shoulder, but I shrugged it off.

"It's never easy when someone chooses to have their family forget about them." Professor Potsdam said. "However, I want you to remember that there are others here who care about you. It will take time, but I know you will be able to recover from this."

I nodded, but didn't lift my head to look at the professor.

* * *

I had planned to go to bed early that night when I noticed that Meese was looking out the window. I asked, "Is it still snowing out there?"

"It's stopped for now," he reported, "but some students are sending off fireworks."

"Fireworks? Are those allowed?"

"I see a few professors out there, so I guess they're supervising."

"Scoot over so I can see."

Meese moved a bit to the left, leaving me room to also look out the window. I quickly saw that these were no ordinary fireworks. They came in different shapes and moved on their own accord for a few seconds before exploding into finals bursts of sparks. There were butterflies, Chinese dragons, and arrows that left behind colored trails of smoke. These fireworks reminded me of the ones Gandalf made in _The Lord of the Rings_.

"Wow." I said with amazement. "Let's go outside!"

Meese nodded in agreement. We put on our winter clothes and went outside to see the fireworks up close. I shivered in the cold, but my focus remained on the magical sight before my eyes.

"I wonder where they got those fireworks." Meese mused out loud. "The emporium at the mall wasn't selling them, so I guess there's another magic store I don't know about."

"Hey!" A familiar voice shouted.

We turned our heads and saw Suki running up to us. She stopped in front of Meese and said, "Hello, Wally the Moose."

"It's 'Meese', actually." He corrected.

"Meese? But you are not a herd. Oh, but I guess you are in a sense. Hattingway, Louis, Jerry, Meese…how many are in your herd?"

"Meese doesn't have split personalities..." I looked at him and asked, "Do you?"

"Not in the sense you are implying."

Suki held out a paper bag filled with fireworks and said, "I plan to set these things free. Would everyone in the herd like to join me?"

"Sure, but please refrain from calling my identities a herd."

As I watched the two of them walk off together, I thought about the very idea of a herd of identities.

 _A herd of identities? A…_ herd _…of identities. A group of identities? A flock? A—?_

"Adrian." Another familiar voice interrupts my thoughts.

I turned my head and saw Damien standing close to me. He asked, "Here to see the fireworks, too?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "They're incredible."

We both lifted our heads up and watched the fireworks. In addition to the ones I saw earlier, there were dragonflies, snakes, and even a unicorn. I was entranced by what I was seeing. Neither of us spoke during the entire time. At some point, I felt Damien lightly take my hand into his own. Though I fidgeted at first, I responded by curling my fingers around his.

As we watched the fireworks on the last night of the year, I couldn't help but get the feeling that Damien and I were starting to become a little more than friends, and it made me nervous.

* * *

 **Next time: the fourth exam.**

 **So, sorry for the late update. There are times when the writing mood just leaves me. I want to go ahead and thank archmage8994 for giving me the kick in the pants needed to get me writing again.**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: I Fight a Monster

-January 5th, Sunday-

Manuel had returned that afternoon from his family visit over the holidays. He brought back two cookie tins, one for each of us, as presents from his family. Norton immediately indulged in his tin while Manuel told us how his Christmas was. Apparently, they were snowed in for two days, but that didn't ruin the fun for anyone. His mother baked cookies and fruitcake and everyone still got their presents on Christmas morning.

"Lizzy and Maddy wouldn't sleep that night after all the toys and cookies they got." Manuel chuckled.

"Sounds like you had a good time." I said.

"I did. How was Christmas here?"

Norton stopped eating and said, "It was alright. The food and fireworks were good, but I couldn't catch the fat man this year and that demon kept showing up at our door."

"Norton…" I warned.

"Damien stopped by?" Manuel asked me.

"Yeah, we exchanged presents, played games, that kind of thing."

"I…I see." Manuel's eyes darted about and, out of the blue, he said, "There's an exam this Friday."

"What?"

I pulled out my planner and flipped to the January pages. Sure enough, there was going to be an exam this coming Friday. I groaned and said, "I'm not ready for this."

"What's to be ready for?" Norton asked. "We never know what's going to be on these exams. All we can do is go over what spells we already know."

"Yeah, yeah."

Manuel nodded, but said nothing.

* * *

-January 10th, Friday-

My exam was scheduled after lunch, and I was not looking forward to it. It took some time just to get back in the mood for classes, but getting in the mood for an exam was pushing it. I went to the usual door and, after knocking, found myself Teleported into the dungeons.

"To pass this test," the usual voice said, "you must reach the exit safely. But be warned: you are not alone."

As soon as the voice had said that, I could hear a low growl. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and my eyes widened. It sounded like there was a monster in the dungeon.

 _No way. Are they really expecting me to fight a monster? What if it kills me?!_

I tried to calm myself down, tried to make my breathing even. I had offensive spells on me, so I can defend myself. All I had to do was kill the monster and I would be fine. I slowly made my way down the corridor and took the first turn I came across…and I swore at what I saw.

Standing a few yards away was a bipedal beast with horns, a spiny tail, and shaggy green fur. Its eyes were dark orange and its fangs looked to be as long as my own head. It glared at me and growled.

I immediately casted Blast, knocking the monster back. It gave an angry roar and charged at me. I backed up, pointed my finger at it, and fired a bolt of Lightning. It grunted and fell forward. I lowered my hand, relieved that I had defeated the monster.

It growled and slowly got on both its clawed hands and feet. I did not expect it to lunge forward like a tiger. The monster knocked me backwards and pinned down. It breathed on my face and it opened its jaws.

Despite what I've read, I didn't see my life flash before my eyes. All I saw were the open jaws of the monster that was about to bite my head off. All I felt at that moment was terror. I expected everything to go dark, to feel the jaws snap around my head, but none of that happened. In a split second, I found myself in the study room, staring up at the glowering face of Professor Grabiner.

"Mr. Robertson," he said in a growl not unlike that of the monster, "what did you think you were doing?"

I tried to speak, but I instead let out a shuddering exhale. My body trembled and I managed to stammer, "I-I'm a-ali-alive."

"Yes you are, Mr. Robertson. Did you seriously think that we would let you be killed while you're here?"

"I-I—."

"I warned you about this in class, but apparently you didn't listen. Violent methods like that can get you killed, and had I not been watching, you would have been left headless."

I sat up and blurted out, "What was I supposed to do?! The monster was there and I had to kill it!"

"No, you didn't. Your assignment was not to defeat the hodag in combat, but only to reach the exit. You could have confused it, put it to sleep, relocated it; there are many ways to achieve that goal without putting yourself in any more danger."

Aside from feeling the adrenaline rush slowly wear off, I felt stupid. I took a deep breath and said, "I-I'm sorry."

"Apologies won't save your life, Mr. Robertson." Grabiner continued to scold. "Don't assume that I will be there to save you every time you are in danger. For your abysmal performance, you will receive ten demerits and detention tomorrow."

"…Yes, professor."

* * *

-January 11th, Saturday-

I found that I was not alone in today's detention. Sitting around the study table were Donald, Mary, and Suki. Mary asked, "Did you fail the exam, too?"

"Yeah." I said. "I tried to fight it."

"Me too."

I looked at Suki and asked, "You too?"

"Me?" Suki blinked. "No. K'whump was scared and I wanted to help him."

"K'whump? You mean the hodag?"

"Yes. It's not right that this school keeps these poor creatures here."

"Poor creature?" Mary asked. "That monster nearly killed me!"

"There are no such things as monsters!"

"Keep it down." Donald said. "Grabby might come at any moment."

As soon as he said that, Professor Grabiner entered the room. He said, "I will now give you your assignments." He placed a small box in front of Donald and said, "Mr. Danson, you will sharpen all of these pencils by hand." He looked at the rest of us and went on, "Miss Sue, Miss Sato, and Mr. Robertson, you will each prepare an essay on the subject of knowing when enough is enough."

He pointed a finger at each of us and I felt the familiar constricting around my throat. "None of you will speak or leave the room until your assignments are done." He then turned around and left the room.

Donald and Mary went straight to work, but Suki did nothing but doodle on her sheet of paper. I started writing my essay when the tip of my pencil broke off. With no other writing tool available, I looked at Donald. I tapped my pencil near him to get his attention. He lifted his head and frowned when he saw my broken pencil. He looked at the pencil he had just finished sharpening and rolled it towards me.

I smiled as thanks and did my best to finish my essay without breaking another pencil.

* * *

-January 14th, Tuesday-

I was on my way to lunch when I spotted Damien standing in the hallway with a Butterfly with long pink hair and fairy wings. I had seen that girl around the school before; I believe her name was Pastel. I froze in place when I heard what they were talking about.

"Why don't we have a bit of fun?" Pastel asked as she leaned against Damien. "I know what you like, Damien."

She placed a hand on his shoulder, but he brushed it off. He said, "You have bad timing, little fairy. If this were last year, I would have been happy to take up that offer, but I have my eyes on another, and I don't want anyone or anything to ruin that."

 _Eyes on another? Me?_

"No one has to know."

He whispered something to her and walked away. She yelled, "I do, too!" and ran after him. I turned around and went to the nearest bathroom. There, I looked in a mirror and saw the blush on my face. I lightly touched my cheek as my thoughts ran wild once more.

 _He likes me—no, more than that—maybe? Gah! This is Freshman Initiation all over again!_

"What does he see in me?" I asked my reflection. "Why…?"

 _Why am I thinking these things? Why do I keep thinking about him, that he likes me? What is it about him that's making me so obsessive? He's pretty,_ exotic _, even, he likes games, and he…_

He notices me. He cares for me. He _accepts_ me. That was why I feel…that I think I…

 _I…I…_

My brain shuts down again.

* * *

 **Next time: what everyone's expecting to happen.**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: I Receive a Confession

-January 20th, Monday-

Today was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so there was no class. Manuel and I were creating characters for _Werewolf: The Forsaken_ when Bob suddenly announced, "Today is a good day to practice!"

We looked up from our character sheets. Manuel asked, "Practice what?"

"My singing!"

"I didn't know you could sing." I said.

"I don't, but the drama club's next play is a musical. On March, we will be performing _The Small Place of Purchase of Frightening Things_."

"Long title. What is it about?"

"It is about an antique store clerk that opens a cursed box. He accidentally unleashes a demon that proceeds to possess his potted daisy and unleash a curse on the store. I play the role of the evil optometrist that wants to steal the clerk's girlfriend away."

"That story sounds silly, yet suspiciously familiar."

"It's a musical horror-comedy, so of course it's going to be silly. Now, unlike my practicing for _Medea_ , I _will_ need privacy."

Manuel looked at me and suggested, "We could go for a walk."

"Sure."

We put on our winter clothes and left the room.

Though it was not snowing, there was still snow on the ground. As we walked around the courtyard, Manuel said, "It's still chilly out here, but I love the fresh air."

I took a deep breath of air through my nose and said, "Yeah."

"I-I really like the walks we take."

"How come?"

"I love seeing the outdoors and being a part of it, but it can get pretty lonely…you know?"

I never really took notice of it before, but aside from a few birds chirping, it was very quiet outside. I could see how one could get lonely out here. Manuel looked at the snow covered flowerbeds and said, "I can't wait for spring to arrive."

"Is that your favorite season?" I asked.

"Yes. It's when everything stirs and life repeats itself."

"Life…repeats itself?"

"The cycle of life. Flowers bloom, trees grow leaves, and animals are out and about. Everything begins again when spring comes."

"True."

I could tell from the way he spoke that Manuel was close to nature. Then again, it might be because he was a Wulver. He asked, "What about you, Adrian? Do you like spring?"

"I do," I nodded, "but I'm really looking forward to summer. Um, Iris has summer vacation, right?"

"Yes."

"Then I _really_ can't wait for summer vacation."

Manuel smiled, and seeing him do that made me smile too.

* * *

-January 23rd, Thursday-

I had just left Red magic class and was on my way to the cafeteria when I heard a familiar voice call out, "Adrian."

I turned around and saw Damien. Instead of being his usual composed self, he looked nervous. I asked, "What's wrong, Damien?"

"I-I'm sorry." He said. "I've been waiting for a chance to talk to you. I…can we go somewhere more private?"

Now I was worried. "Damien, did something happen?"

"No—well, just come with me, please."

He led me to an empty classroom. He closed the door and turned to face me. I said, "Okay, what's going on?"

Without looking at me, he said, "T-this is hard for me. You can't imagine…you don't know…" He let out a frustrated sigh. "I thought it would be easy, but it's not."

"What's not easy?"

"Adrian, I…I thought that it would be enough if we were friends, but I can't take it anymore."

"Damien?"

He finally looked at me. I was surprised to see that he was blushing. "Adrian, I want you."

"Huh?!"

"I want to be with you. I want to see you smile, to hold your hand and touch your lips and…"

I started to feel dizzy. I placed a hand on my forehead and felt myself burning up. I had to be dreaming…

 _Is he really saying…does he really feel…?_

"Adrian?"

"Damien," I croaked, "do…do you really mean it?"

"I do."

"I…" I shook my head. "I'm sorry, no one's ever…ever…"

"Confessed to you?"

"Yeah."

"If you would give me the chance, I would like to take you out on Saturday."

"You mean a d-date?"

"Yes."

 _He's asking me out! He's really asking me out!_

I rapidly nodded my head. Damien smiled and said, "I'm glad I've finally worked up the courage to talk to you. I'll see you at the mall this Saturday."

I nodded again. We left the classroom and parted ways. I was too excited to have lunch, so I went back to my room, hoping to have some time to myself. Outside the door, I could hear Wally singing.

" _Orbs of the soul!"_ He sang. _"Full of light, full of life, full of glamor, full of humor, nothing shows more than eyes! Even in this pickle jar nothing can mar these orbs of the soul!"_

 _What odd lyrics. Oh well, so much for having the room to myself._

I leaned against a nearby wall and slid down until I was sitting. Now was a good time to process everything that had just happened.

 _Damien…asked me out. This Saturday—oh god, what are we going to do at the mall? Will we eat lunch again? Browse the stores? Have cake—wait, Wally's going to throw a fit if he finds out I'm actually dating Damien._

"Adrian?"

I looked up and saw Manuel standing next to me. He said, "Your face is red. Are you alright?"

 _It might be fine to tell Manuel._

"Yeah, it's just, well," I gave a silly grin, "Damien…asked me out."

Manuel's eyes widened. "Asked you out? Y-you mean you're dating now?"

"I guess. I know he said he was interested in me, and I, well, like him, but to actually hear him say…" My grin stretched.

"Th-that's great, Adrian. I-I'm glad to see you so happy." He looked towards the door. "Um, I know he's practicing, but I need to get something."

He unlocked the door and walked in. My stomach growled. Having gotten rid of some of that excitement, my appetite had returned. I stood up and made my way to the cafeteria.

I took my time walking there, since I was in a good mood. The grin would not leave my face, so I was sure everyone knew what my mood was. I heard someone running behind me and I turned around to see who it was.

A fist struck me across the jaw and I nearly lost my balance. I stared at the one who had punched me: Bartholomew. He looked angry, just like at the night _Medea_ played. My good mood was instantly soured.

"What the hell?!" I shouted.

Some students stopped to see what was going on. Bartholomew snarled, "So now you're dating him? I told you it was never 'just friends' with him."

"He has nothing to do with you!"

"Me? You think this is about _me_? Idiot. I've stopped caring since the first fight."

"Then why the hell did you punch me?!"

"Because you don't deserve him. I'm done talking to you."

He turned around and stormed off. I shouted, "What's that supposed to mean?!"

He ignored me. In a single minute, I had gone from happy to angry. I wanted to tackle him and beat the answers out of him, but I did not want to attract a crowd and get detention again, especially since I had a date with Damien this Saturday. I tried to cheer myself up.

 _You've got a date with Damien…a date…yeah, I can't wait._

* * *

 **Next time, unwanted company.**

 **I don't see a career in songwriting in my future.**

 **It's been some time since I worked on this. I** _ **have**_ **thought things through, but it's going to take some motivation on my part to write the rest of it.**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: I Go on My First Date

-January 25th, Saturday-

Wally and I didn't talk since he had punched me. I had Healed my face so a bruise wouldn't form. I didn't want Damien or Manuel to know that I was punched by Wally.

When I had arrived at the mall, I found Damien waiting for me. We both smiled when we saw each other. Nervous, I asked, "So, how does this work?"

"The date?" He asked. "However you want it to."

"Um…"

"What would you like to do first?"

"Look at the stores, I guess?"

So we did just that. One of the first places we stopped at was the arcade. There were a few normal kids playing shooters and racing games, but I noticed Mary and Big Steve playing pinball. They were both engrossed in their own games, but Mary would occasionally glance at Big Steve. I found out that Damien wasn't particularly interested in arcade games, so we moved on.

The mall was big, but I was determined to visit every place but the ones that sold clothes or shoes. Damien thought otherwise and we stopped at one clothes store. He wanted to look at shirts. Though I really didn't like looking at clothes, I allowed him to browse. He didn't buy anything, though he did share his desire to wear some shirts he had found.

"Then why don't you get them?" I asked.

"Because they would restrict my wings." He frowned. "You've already noticed that I can't wear normal shirts and coats."

To emphasize the point, he turned around to show me his back. There were long slits in his robe that allowed his wings to stretch out. The slits ruined the look of the robe, but it was obvious that functionality was more important than looks.

"Sometimes I wish I didn't have these things." Damien sighed.

"Really?" I asked. "I think it would be cool to have wings, you know, flying, and all that."

He smiled. "Yes, there is that. Now that I think about it, can we go to Gilwise's next? There are some things there I would like to show you."

"Alright."

Damien took the lead. We were about to enter the store when a Butterfly with short orange hair walked out. Upon seeing her, he froze in place and a scowl showed on his face.

The girl rolled her eyes and said, "Oh no, not another one." She turned to me and said nastily, "My condolences on your impending heartbreak."

"Angela," Damien said slowly, "get out of our way and leave him alone."

 _Angela? That name sounds familiar._

"Why, Damien, I haven't seen you so solicitous of a freshworm since dating Musette. _Poor_ little Musette."

"Musette?" I asked.

"Didn't he tell you? She was one of his little girlfriends last year, until he got her expelled."

I blinked. "Expelled?"

"I had nothing to do with that!" Damien snapped.

"Yes," she sneered, "and you were oh-so-sad, weren't you…for at least a whole day before picking up a new toy. What was his name again?"

She was a bully, just like the ones at my old school, and I had had enough of her. I glared at her and asked, "What's your problem?"

" _My_ problem? You're the one with the problem if you're dating Damien."

"So you're jealous? Is that it?"

"Jealous? Don't be ridiculous! _I_ dumped _him_ , with the whole school watching." She turned her attention to Damien. "We both got what we wanted, didn't we dear?"

"Shut up." Damien's voice came close to a growl.

Angela looked at me once again. "I hope you haven't somehow got the idea that you're his first true love. You'd have to be blind to miss his history—."

"I know it." I interrupted.

"Then you must be pretty stupid, just like how he likes them."

I lost it. I ran forward to tackle her when Damien grabbed me by the shoulders. Just as I shrugged him off, Angela suddenly vanished. We stared at the spot where she once stood.

"Really." A familiar voice said. "That wench wants to make an enemy out of everyone she meets."

We turned around and saw Louis standing a few feet away from us. Obviously, he did not look happy to see us. Without making eye contact, he walked past us.

"You'll get in trouble for using magic in a public setting." Damien said to him.

He stopped in front of the doorway to Gilwise's. With his back to us, he said, "I know, but Teleporting her into a garbage dumpster was worth it."

 _Oh yeah, Angela was his senior during Initiation._

"Thanks." I said.

Louis entered the store without answering. I looked at Damien and asked, "So you and Angela dated before?"

He sighed. "It was a terrible mistake."

"No kidding." I thought back to the girl she had mentioned and decided to bring it up. "She said you got a girl expelled. Is that true?"

"Oh, Musette. She tried to do research on forbidden magic, even though I've warned her. She wouldn't stop, so she was expelled."

"So there's forbidden magic out there. What kind is it?"

"I don't want to tell you. I know you're curious, and I don't want that curiosity to get you in trouble."

 _He's right about that._

"You have a point."

Damien looked at the store and said, "I don't really want to go in with your friend in there, no offence."

"None taken." I said. I automatically thought back to what had happened days ago. I suggested, "Want to get lunch?"

"Sure. What are you in the mood for?"

"Pizza."

He grinned. "Well, you can't go wrong with pizza."

"Yes you can. You can put bad toppings on it, like cabbage or sauerkraut, and don't get me started on hot dog pizza."

"That's…interesting."

"More like gross."

We went to the food court and got some slices of pizza (pepperoni for me, black olives for him). We sat down at one of the many tables to eat. There were a couple of students present that stared at us for a few seconds before turning their heads back to their meals. I guess they all knew about what was going on, just like Angela.

The pizza itself tasted alright, though it had a lot of grease on it. I made a note to myself to never get pizza from here again. The crusts were the worst parts, so I left them on my paper plate.

"You don't eat the crusts?" Damien asked.

"I do," I said, "but those are awful."

Damien experimentally nibbled on the crust on his pizza. He shook his head and said, "You're right, it tastes stale."

I thought that now was a good time to make casual conversation. "Um, so you're graduating this year?"

"I am."

"What are you going to do afterwards?"

"I really don't know. I know I don't fit in this world, so I'll most likely stay in the Otherworld. I'll have to make some decisions…"

"Like what, college? Wait, _are_ there magical colleges?"

"Of course there are."

"Magical colleges, huh? Wonder what they teach?"

"Are you interested in going to one once you graduate?"

"I am, but I don't have the money."

"Your parents can't afford it?"

I lowered my head. The topic of my family was going to come up sooner or later. Deciding to withhold on the details, I said, "Actually, I requested that my family forget about me."

"Oh." Damien's expression darkened. "I can take a guess why, but I won't."

"Thank you."

None of us said anything for a minute. It seemed that we both didn't know what to say, and it was starting to get awkward.

 _Come on, Adrian, say something._

"Uh…" I looked down at my plate of pizza crusts. "I'm done eating."

"Same here." He said.

We tossed out our trash and went back to browsing the stores. None of us brought up anything related to the previous conversation.

* * *

-January 26th, Sunday-

Wally booted Manuel and me out of our room after breakfast so that he could get his singing practice in. As far as we could tell, this was going to be a weekly thing until the day of the musical. We decided to do our usual walk to pass the time.

Usually, Manuel would make some comment about the outdoors or his week, but he was nearly silent today. It looked like he wasn't paying attention to anything. One time, he came close to bumping into another student and I had to pull him out of the way. He gave a brief "thank you", but went back to looking distant.

"Manuel," I finally said, "is something wrong?"

"Huh?" He finally looked at me. "N-no. I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"…Stuff."

"School stuff?"

"Well, um…I haven't seen Minnie at the library yesterday."

"Maybe she took a break from tutoring?"

"Maybe."

Manuel turned his head away and fidgeted with his fingers. Something was up, though I don't know what. I could tell he didn't want to talk, so I decided not to press him.

We spent the rest of our walk in silence.

* * *

 **Next time, bingo and the fifth exam.**


End file.
